Matthew 10:5–7

In reading the Old Testament, we cannot miss this: God told His people they were not to go in and out among other nations. Intermarrying was out of the question. (But this separation was soon abused. Pride got into the heart of that nation, and they began to look down on the Gentiles as dogs. The distinction between Jews and Gentiles was God's. The looking down on the Gentiles was their failure.) This shows why the Lord Jesus told the apostles, when He sent them out, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles... but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." God had made Israel a distinct nation. The Lord Jesus would not interfere with that distinction until His own death pulled the barrier down.

Their mission was "Go nowhere among the Gentiles" — there was as yet no word for them. "And enter no town of the Samaritans." This mixed race was half heathen and half Jew. They had no promises from God, any more than the Gentiles had. "But," said the Lord, "go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." They were the objects of this mission. It was narrow, but it was necessary, and it came first.

This was their mission in particular. There is not a word about preaching what we call the gospel, or teaching the whole counsel of God. They were to go with messianic power against Satan and diseases of the body, as a testimony to Israel... It was bright evidence that the true King, Jehovah, was there. He could cast out demons Himself, and He could give that power to His servants as well. Who but the King, the Lord of hosts, could do this? It was a far greater testimony than if the power had stayed in His own person... He sent the servants out in due order — twelve of them, matching the twelve tribes of the house of Israel... Their business was only with the lost sheep of the house of Israel. That is positive proof that the phrase means those Jews who had a sense of sin, and who were willing to receive the testimony of the true Messiah.

They were to go just as they were, with the coat on their backs and the shoes on their feet. They were not to lay up any store to support them during their mission. This is not a universal rule for God's servants at all times. It was a special mission, for a special time, and with reference to Israel only. It was not the gospel of God's grace, but of the kingdom. The two go together now; but then it was not so.

But in Luke 24 everything changes. The barriers of God's dealings no longer stand in the way of the messengers of grace. Israel is not to be forgotten, but the Gentiles are to hear the good news. The sun of God's salvation must now pour its living beams over the whole world. Not a soul is to be shut out from the blessed light. Every city, town, village, street and lane must be searched out and visited with love, so that every creature under heaven might hear the good news of a full and free salvation.

Their mission reaches only the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The judgment that fell on Israel for rejecting the testimony suspended it. But it will resume after this whole present period is over. They will not have gone over the cities of Israel till the Son of Man comes.

When the Lord had sent out the twelve to preach the kingdom of heaven to Israel (Matt. 10), the mission was confined and narrow. He "became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs" (Rom. 15:8). All the promises to Israel were fulfilled in Himself. Their mission was "Go nowhere among the Gentiles" — there was as yet no word for them. Then, "enter no town of the Samaritans." This mixed race, half heathen, half Jew, had no promises from God any more than the Gentiles. And the mission did not even take in all Israel. In each town they were to find out who was worthy. So it was narrowed down to the worthy ones — the godly remnant of the people.

It is a Jewish mission of the twelve Jewish apostles to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. I take this quite literally. It is not said of the Church, which Scripture never calls lost sheep. But it describes the sheep of Israel in their desolate condition exactly. Before God gathers the Church, what we want is a Saviour. We Gentiles were not sheep at all, but dogs, from Matthew's point of view (see Matt. 15). And once He has brought us into the Church, we are not, and cannot be, lost sheep. But the Lord calls these poor of the flock lost sheep of the house of Israel. Up to this time, the work that could put them in the known position of salvation was not yet done.

So we have the Good Shepherd saying, "Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost" (Luke 15:6). On the face of it, it would not do to limit the thought of "lost" to being lost nationally.

"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest'" (Matt. 9:36-38). The Good Shepherd felt deep sympathy for the distresses and weaknesses of the lost sheep of the house of Israel. So He wanted others to work with Him, gathering the scattered without delay. And at once, being Himself the Lord of the harvest, He went on to send out labourers into the harvest.

Their Master's coming would break off their mission before it was complete… So the original Jewish mission was interrupted, and what has been well called "the Gentile parenthesis" came in. When that is over, I have no doubt the Lord will raise up servants at a future day. They will take up the word and work now set aside. And before they finish proclaiming the coming kingdom through all the cities of Israel, the Son of Man will come.

But in Luke 24 all is changed. The old barriers no longer stand in the way of the messengers of grace. Israel is not to be forgotten, but the Gentiles too must hear the good news… The messengers must search out and visit every city, town, village and hamlet, every street, lane and alley, hedge and highway. They must do it with care and love, so that "every creature under heaven" might hear the good news of a full and free salvation.

In verse 7 their message is summed up in seven words. It matches what John the Baptist preached (Matthew 3:2), and what the Lord Himself preached (Matthew 4:17), except that here the word "Repent" is left out. It was a very simple message, hardly allowing much expansion or variety. They could not preach things that had not yet happened. But the promised King was present in His own land, so the kingdom was near them.

Old Testament prophecy, especially Daniel, made it clear that the God of heaven would set up a kingdom. More than this, the Son of Man was the person who would administer that kingdom... Such was the kingdom of heaven. It was not a mere kingdom of the earth, nor was it in heaven, but it was heaven governing the earth for ever.

Or, as it may be rendered, "has drawn near." We need to keep this in mind, as it is a key phrase in these opening chapters. Neither John nor our Lord said, The kingdom is going to be set up. In the ways of God the moment had drawn near to fulfil the promises about our Lord. He is the Son of David, Israel's long promised Messiah. It was all presented to them, but it depended on Israel whether they would accept Him or not.

Not a word is said about preaching what we call the gospel, or teaching the whole counsel of God. They were to go with the power of the Messiah against Satan and bodily diseases, as a testimony to Israel. They were to declare the kingdom of heaven... But the main mark of the mission was the power He gave them over demons and diseases. How fitting this was, in connection with Israel, is obvious. It was a bright proof that the true King, Jehovah, was there. He could cast out demons Himself, and He could give that power to His servants too. Who but the King, the Lord of hosts, could do this? It was a far greater testimony than if He had kept the power to Himself alone.

This is not a universal rule for the servants of God at all times. It was a particular mission, for a special time, and with reference to Israel only. It was not the gospel of God's grace, but of the kingdom. The two go together now; but then it was not so. Israel did not receive the testimony of the kingdom. An entire change comes in, and the outward setting up of the kingdom of heaven stays suspended. God's call now goes out to the Gentiles. That call comes in as a vast parenthesis between this message to the lost sheep in Israel and its full completion in the last days.

We do not preach "the Gospel of the Kingdom" (Matthew 4:23). Christ and the Apostles preached that Kingdom Gospel before the day of Pentecost, and it will be preached again after the rapture. We preach "the Gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24). It takes people morally out of the world and gives them heavenly hopes and destiny.

This testimony to the nearness of the kingdom has been suspended and will be resumed at the time of the end. The disciples stand here as representative men. What is said applied to them at that moment, and it will apply to others in a similar position at the end of the age. The kingdom, as presented at that moment in Christ in person, was rejected, and so the testimony was withdrawn, as we see in Matthew 16:20.