Jesus did not ultimately intend for the gospel to be preached only to Israel, but for now he sends them out to the Jews specifically, as one final call to repentance for the Jews, and to prepare the apostles for their later work without Jesus’ direct guidance. Jesus expressly excludes the Gentiles and Samaritans here in Matthew 10:5–6, yet soon after shows that the focus of evangelism will continue to broaden (see Matthew 10:22–23, wherein the eschaton and the coming of the Son of Man come into view). The initial preference for home mission is thus based on the condition of the covenant people themselves: lost sheep
who urgently need the gospel.
The command in Matthew 10:5–6 must not be seen as a permanent mandate, but is based on the Jews’ special place in God’s plan as the nation with whom God has made a covenant, so it was necessary that the gospel of the Kingdom of God be preached to them first (Matthew 15:24; John 1:11; Romans 1:16; Isaiah 49:6). The dividing wall between Israel and the nations could not be broken down ahead of time.
No, but in Matthew 10:5–6 he sends them out to the Jews specifically, which serves as one final call to repentance for the Jews, while for the apostles this merely constituted the preparations for their later work. Until now they had worked under Jesus.1
It seems as if the address is restricted to what the disciples had to immediately proceed to do then and there in Israel. Jesus expressly excludes the Gentiles and Samaritans here in Matthew 10:5–6, yet a little later on in this same chapter it becomes evident that the focus of evangelism will continue to broaden (see Matthew 10:22–23, wherein the eschaton and the coming of the Son of Man come into view).2 The reason for the initial preference for home mission must therefore be sought in the condition of the people themselves. Israel as a people is now constituted by lost sheep,
highlighting the urgency of the covenant people’s need for the gospel3
The command in Matthew 10:5–6 must not be understood as constituting a permanent mandate. It is because of the fact that the Jews had a special place in God’s plan as the nation with whom God has made a covenant, that it was necessary that the gospel of the Kingdom of God be preached to them first (Matthew 15:24; John 1:11; Romans 1:16; Romans 1:16). The dividing wall between Israel and the nations could not be broken down ahead of time.4
5 Tels sont les douze que Jésus envoya, après leur avoir donné les instructions suivantes: N'allez pas vers les païens, et n'entrez pas dans les villes des Samaritains;