When Christ Jesus was here...when He became one of us, He made what some might conclude "contradictory statements". Yet, I am of the opinion...they were not contradictory...at all.
First, how Gentiles (those who have been raised in a non-Jewish environment) received the Message of Christ...is an interesting thought by itself.
In Matthew 10: 5-6, Jesus is now beginning to send out His disciples...and given them the authority to do things in His Name, to let the people of Israel know...the long awaited Messiah...has indeed come! To prove this, He went on to explain in later verses they were to heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those inflicted with leprosy, and cast out evil in others. These 2 verses go like this: "Jesus sent out the 12 disciples with these instructions: Do not go to the Gentiles..or even the Samaritans...go only to those lost and confused of Israel."
Then in Matthew 15:21-24...there is another situation...with Jesus. It reads: " Jesus then travelled north...to the villages of Tyre and Sidon. This was "Gentile Territory", and soon after Jesus and His disciples had arrived, a Canaanite woman from the area began to shout at them saying: "I cry to You...in mercy!...You...O Lord...the Son of the great house of David! My own daughter is in misery and full of distress...and...cruelly possessed by a demon! Yet, Jesus seemed to totally ignore her...and didn't say a word. His disciples then turned to Jesus and said: "Now look! She is bothering us with all her problems and loud commotion..and she keeps begging for help. Would You say or do...something...to shut her up and get her outta' here?'
In John 10:16, Jesus seems to clarify His intentions for coming for all of us...by becoming one of us. Jesus has just concluded on the importance of knowing His Voice...just like sheep...and speaks: " I have other sheep...besides the sheep of Israel. ( Some people think He is referring aliens...I know Gentiles are from other parts of the world...but not from other planets). They are not part of this sheepfold (yet), and I am here for them as well. When they hear My voice...and listen...and know...it is Me, they too will come.When it is all said and done, there will be...one flock...one shepherd."
And in Matthew 28:18-20, when Jesus is about to return to the Father...He gives these instructions: " All authority...All power of rule...both in heaven and upon the earth...has been given...to Me! ( Do you think Satan was in attendance that day?....I do).
Go out...to the people of every tribe and nation...right in the midst of their various manners and lifestyles...and make them My disciples...and confirm this with a public display of baptism, doing all of this in the Name of the Father, and of His Son, and in the Name of the Precious Holy Spirit!
And by all means...don't stop there! Teach and instruct those who turn to Me, teach them to practice everything...I have given you to practice, through the Commands and teachings I have given you!
For you can put all of your trust in this: I will be there...I will be present as you share all this...day after day...after day...even to the very close...of this present age."
Amen (So let it be).
Personally, confrontations, misunderstandings, offending others...none of that concerned Jesus. He knew why He had come...and He knew exactly where He was going with all this...and that was...He was determined to take us with Him!
So...did the Early church start out "holding hands and putting flowers in their hair"? Far from it...there were controversies everywhere. Yet, He trusted us to carry out the Message of the True Gospel...in spite of ourselves!
More to come.......
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