Matthew 10:5
“Jesus sent these twelve out, and commanded them, saying, “Don’t go among the Gentiles, and don’t enter into any city of the Samaritans.”
What does Matthew 10:5 mean?
When Jesus first sent out his twelve apostles, he gave them a specific, limited assignment: focus on the Jewish people in Israel. This instruction might seem exclusive to modern ears, but it reflected the immediate reality of Jesus's ministry and his respect for God's covenants with Israel. The Samaritans, who were ethnically mixed and religiously different from Jews, were particularly avoided. This wasn't Jesus's final word on who deserves God's love. Later in Matthew, he'll interact with a Canaanite woman and praise her faith. After his resurrection, he'll send his followers to "all nations." But in this moment, he was directing his apprentices to master their message and build deep roots in one community first, trusting that God's plan would eventually open wider doors. Sometimes the most loving thing isn't to do everything at once, but to do the work right in front of you with full attention.