Matthew 10:5-8
These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus' instruction to his disciples to avoid the Gentiles and Samaritans wasn't a permanent exclusion but a strategic first step, prioritizing the "lost sheep of Israel" to prepare them before the gospel would later expand to all nations. This highlights God's patient unfolding of His plan, working within existing covenants and relationships before broadening the scope of His salvific work.
Jesus is sending out his twelve disciples on a specific mission for the first time, commissioning them with authority to heal and cast out demons. This initial mission is intentionally limited to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel," meaning they are to minister only to Jewish people and avoid Samaritans due to the deep-seated hostility between the groups. This restriction prepares the way for a later, broader commission to go to all nations.
Why did Jesus tell his disciples to avoid certain people on their first mission trip? It wasn't about exclusion, but about divine timing and strategy.
Jesus commissioned his twelve disciples with a very specific directive: "Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans." This might seem odd, but it reveals a strategic approach to spreading the Good News.
A Divine Order
God's plan, as revealed in Scripture, unfolds in stages. The Old Testament covenant was primarily with the people of Israel. Jesus, as the Messiah, was fulfilling that covenant. His initial mission to the disciples was to focus on the "lost sheep of the house of Israel." This wasn't a permanent exclusion of Gentiles or Samaritans, but a prioritization.
Building on the Foundation
Think of it like building a house. You start with the foundation before adding the walls. Israel was the foundation for God's redemptive plan. By first reaching out to them, Jesus was laying the groundwork and fulfilling ancient promises made to Abraham and his descendants. The offer of salvation would eventually extend to all nations, but the initial phase was for Israel.
Preparing the Way
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This focused approach also served to avoid unnecessary conflict and confusion at that early stage. The animosity between Jews and Samaritans was intense, and the Gentiles were seen as outsiders. By confining the disciples' mission initially to Israel, Jesus minimized potential stumbling blocks and allowed the message to take root within its intended covenant community first.
The Samaritans were more than just neighbors; they represented a deep historical and religious rift. Understanding this helps explain Jesus' specific instruction.
The command to avoid Samaritans wasn't a casual suggestion; it was rooted in centuries of intense animosity between Jews and Samaritans.
A Mixed Heritage
Samaritans were descendants of foreigners brought into Israelite territory after the northern kingdom fell to Assyria. These newcomers intermingled with the remaining Israelites and adopted a form of Judaism, but it was a syncretic religion—a blend of pagan practices and worship of the God of Israel. They famously worshipped on Mount Gerizim, creating a rival religious center to Jerusalem.
Deep-Seated Animosity
This religious difference, coupled with historical grievances (like the Samaritans hindering the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple), created a bitter and often violent hatred. Jews viewed Samaritans as heretics and 'strangers'—a people to be avoided at all costs.
Jesus' Counter-Cultural Love
It's fascinating that while Jesus initially restricted his disciples' mission, he himself had previously shown compassion and shared the Gospel with a Samaritan woman (John 4). This highlights Jesus' radical, counter-cultural love and how he prioritized different aspects of his mission at different times. The disciples, however, were not yet ready for this level of outreach, and their immediate mission needed to stay focused.
Understand the original words
ethnos · Greek Noun
All non-Jewish people; biblically, it refers to the nations of the world who were outside the covenant promises given to Israel prior to the gospel's expansion.
Samareitēs · Greek Noun
A people group living in the region between Galilee and Judea who were viewed with hostility by many Jews due to their mixed ethnic heritage and divergent religious practices.
probaton · Greek Noun
Refers to the people of God, often highlighting their vulnerability, straying from God's guidance, and their need for a Shepherd. In the context of Israel, it highlights their covenantal status but also their spiritual wandering.
apollumi · Greek Adjective/Participle
Refers to the state of being spiritually ruined or astray from God. It describes the condition of humanity separated from God, needing divine intervention for restoration.
basileia tou ouranou · Greek Noun
The sovereign reign and rule of God. It signifies the breaking in of God's redemptive power and authority into history, calling for repentance and submission.
engizo · Greek Verb/Adjective
A term denoting that an event or state is immediate, imminent, or has drawn very near. It indicates that the arrival of God's reign is no longer a distant future hope but a present reality.
therapeuo · Greek Verb
The exercise of divine power to restore health or wholeness to those suffering from physical or spiritual infirmity. It serves as a sign of the kingdom's arrival.
lepros · Greek Noun/Adjective
Refers to a state of ritual impurity under the Old Testament law. Cleansing represented the restoration of the individual to the community of God's people and the removing of signs of judgment or decay.
daimonion · Greek Noun
Spiritual beings, opposed to God, who influence or possess individuals. Casting them out demonstrates the superior authority of the kingdom of God over the powers of darkness.
This initial mission was strategically limited to the Jewish people, respecting the long-standing, deep-seated animosity between Jews and Samaritans, and the divine order of 'to the Jew first.' It also allowed the disciples to mature in their understanding before embracing the wider mission to all nations.
c. 722 BC
Assyrian Conquest of Israel
The Northern Kingdom of Israel falls to the Assyrian Empire, and many of its inhabitants are exiled. Assyria then repopulates the area with foreigners, leading to a mixed population and religious practices.
c. 129 BC
Destruction of Samaritan Temple
John Hyrcanus, a Jewish leader, destroys the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim, intensifying the bitter animosity between Jews and Samaritans.
c. 20s BC
Samaritan Passover Defilement
Samaritans desecrate the Jerusalem Temple courts with dead men's bones during Passover, further inflaming Jewish hatred and solidifying their designation as 'strangers'.
c. AD 28
Jesus Encounters Samaritan Woman
Jesus engages in a significant conversation with a Samaritan woman at Jacob's Well, demonstrating a willingness to cross cultural and religious divides.
c. AD 30— this verse
Jesus' First Mission to the Twelve
Jesus sends out his twelve apostles with specific instructions to focus their ministry exclusively on the 'lost sheep of the house of Israel,' avoiding Gentiles and Samaritans.
c. AD 33
Samaritans Hear the Gospel
Following Jesus' ascension, the apostles, notably Philip, begin to preach the gospel in Samaria with great success, showing a shift in mission focus.
c. AD 40s-50s
Paul's Ministry to Gentiles
The Apostle Paul, commissioned by Jesus, begins his extensive ministry to the Gentile world, fulfilling the broader scope of the gospel's reach.
This passage shows Jesus giving a similar, yet broader, commission to the seventy disciples, including instructions on how to engage with different communities, highlighting the evolving scope of the Gospel's mission.
Acts 8:1This verse describes a persecution that scattered believers beyond Jerusalem, leading them to preach the word in Judea and Samaria, demonstrating how the initial restrictions of Matthew 10:5 were eventually overcome.
John 4:9This verse explicitly states the historical animosity between Jews and Samaritans, providing the immediate context for Jesus' instruction to His disciples to avoid Samaria at this stage of their mission.
Matthew 28:19This verse, given after Jesus' resurrection, presents the 'Great Commission,' which directly contrasts with the limited scope of Matthew 10:5, showing the ultimate, global expansion of the Gospel message to all nations.
Romans 1:16Paul's declaration that the Gospel is the power of God 'to the Jew first and also to the Greek' echoes the strategic, phased approach Jesus outlined in Matthew 10, where the Jewish people received the initial proclamation.
barnesMatthew 10:5: "These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:"
Into the way of the Gentiles - That is, among the Gentiles, or nowhere but among the Jews. The full time for preaching the gospel to the Gentiles was not come. It was proper that it should be first preached to the Jews, the ancient covenant people of God, and the people among whom the Messiah was born. Afterward he gave them a charge t…
vincentMatthew 10:5: "These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:"
Judas Iscariot (ὁ Ἰσκαριώτης)The article distinguishes him from others of the name of Judas (compare John 14:22). Iscariot is usually explained as a compound, meaning the man of Kerioth, with reference to his native town, which is given in Joshua (Joshua 15:25) as one of the uttermost cities of Judah toward the coast of Edom southwa…
Jesus' instruction to his disciples to avoid the Gentiles and Samaritans wasn't a permanent exclusion but a strategic first step, prioritizing the "lost sheep of Israel" to prepare them before the gospel would later expand to all nations. This highlights God's patient unfolding of His plan, working within existing covenants and relationships before broadening the scope of His salvific work.
Jesus is sending out his twelve disciples on a specific mission for the first time, commissioning them with authority to heal and cast out demons. This initial mission is intentionally limited to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel," meaning they are to minister only to Jewish people and avoid Samaritans due to the deep-seated hostility between the groups. This restriction prepares the way for a later, broader commission to go to all nations.
Jesus is sending out his twelve disciples on a specific mission for the first time, commissioning them with authority to heal and cast out demons. This initial mission is intentionally limited to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel," meaning they are to minister only to Jewish people and avoid Samaritans due to the deep-seated hostility between the groups. This restriction prepares the way for a later, broader commission to go to all nations.
"These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’…" — Jesus' instruction to his disciples to avoid the Gentiles and Samaritans wasn't a permanent exclusion but a strategic first step, prioritizing the "lost sheep of Israel" to prepare them before the go…
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