The Nugget:
Mat 15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
My Comment:
I have explained Matthew 15:24 in detail before, but there are always new readers who missed my previous explanation, and in this case, new Muslim participants at the “Islam and Christianity Debate Group” who have not read my explanation yet. It is interesting to see how unbelievers, false cults, and Muslims keep raising the same questions even when I have carefully and fully answered the questions before. But that is why I am a teacher. I enjoy helping all my students learn. I never criticize them for having a question. But I must tell you, that is not how some of my teachers treated me!
This time, a very interesting Muslim poster posted a visual or picture which made this claim:
Leave Paul
Come to Real Jesus
[Matthew 15:24] Jesus answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
My Response:
Muhammad Jahid, you have posted some very interesting challenges for those who truly believe in Jesus Christ. You have posted the comment,
“Leave Paul, Come to Real Jesus.”
It might be that you have not studied what the Bible, and Jesus Christ Himself, said about Paul. One place to start would be Acts 9:15, 16.
Act 9:15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
Act 9:16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.
But going back to your comment, the comment includes a reference to a often misunderstood verse, Matthew 15:24.
Mat 15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Jesus did not always limit or restrict his ministry to none but the Jews. He also ministered to Gentiles as here at Matthew 15:24.
He healed the centurion’s servant (Mat 8:13);
Mat 8:13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
He declared his Messiahship to the Samaritan woman at the well (Joh 4:25, 26),
Joh 4:25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
Joh 4:26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
and as a result of her vibrant testimony Jesus was asked by the townspeople of the Samaritan city of Sychar to stay two more days with them, which he did, and many of them believed (Joh 4:42).
Joh 4:40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.
Joh 4:41 And many more believed because of his own word;
Joh 4:42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
Notice carefully what the Samaritans learned about Jesus:
“this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.”
They understood that Jesus is the Messiah, and that He is not the Savior of the Jews only, but the Savior of the world.
THAT IS THE CLEAR TESTIMONY OF SCRIPTURE: WHY DO YOU REPEATEDLY DENY IT?
When Jesus healed the ten lepers, one of them was a Samaritan, the only one who returned to give thanks (Luke 17:11-12; Luke 17:15-16).
Christ’s directive (Mat 10:5-6) that his disciples minister only to the lost sheep of Israel and not enter into any city of the Samaritans nor go in the way of the Gentiles was clearly a directive for that immediate mission, and does not mark a permanent policy of the ministry of Christ that limited His work only to the Jews.
It is most clear that Christ came to save the world, not merely the lost sheep of the house of Israel, for He commanded that His Gospel be proclaimed to every creature (Mat 28:19; Mar 16:15; Luke 24:27; Joh 1:29; Joh 3:16; Joh 4:42; Act 1:8; 1Jn 2:2). This accords precisely with what was prophesied of the Messiah (Isa 49:6; Act 13:47; Act 26:23).
To understand the truth, you must carefully study it without making snap judgments or knee-jerk reactions. Carefully consider the evidence found in the Bible, correctly interpreted.
