Reading the Gospel of Matthew, we come across an instruction from Jesus that can be jarring. In Matthew 10:5-6, we read:
“Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them, saying, ‘Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans. Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’”How is it possible that the Savior, who came to save the world, gave such a restrictive order? Was Jesus biased against Samaritans? To answer, we need to understand the historical context and the divine plan behind this apparent exclusion.
Centuries of Division
To grasp the prohibition, we must go back several centuries. After King Solomon’s death, the kingdom of Israel split into two: the northern kingdom (Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judah). In 722 BC, the Assyrian Empire conquered the northern kingdom and deported many Israelites. The Assyrians brought settlers from other nations to repopulate the land. Over time, these settlers intermarried with the remaining Israelites, giving rise to the Samaritans.
The Samaritans adopted a form of worship that mixed elements of Judaism with pagan practices. They accepted only the Pentateuch (the five books of Moses) as Scripture and built their own temple on Mount Gerizim, instead of worshiping in Jerusalem. This created a deep religious and ethnic conflict between Jews and Samaritans that lasted for centuries.
For a first-century Jew, Samaritans were considered unclean, and any contact with them was avoided. Yet Jesus did not share those prejudices. In John 4, we see Jesus talking with a Samaritan woman, something that shocked his disciples. He broke cultural and religious barriers, showing that his love knew no borders.
A Temporary Strategy, Not an Eternal Rejection
The restriction in Matthew 10 was not a judgment against Samaritans, but a temporary strategy. Jesus was fulfilling God’s plan: first, the Messiah was to present himself to Israel, the covenant people, to fulfill Old Testament prophecies. As Romans 1:16 says:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.”The order was important: first to Israel, then to all nations.
Moreover, the disciples were not yet ready to face the opposition they would encounter among the Samaritans. Jesus knew that the message needed to be proclaimed first in a more familiar context. After his resurrection, Jesus himself gave the Great Commission:
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).The door was opened for everyone, including the Samaritans.
The Example of the Samaritans in the New Testament
Far from discriminating against them, Jesus used a Samaritan as an example of love for neighbor in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). He also healed a Samaritan leper (Luke 17:11-19), and after his ascension, the apostles took the gospel to Samaria (Acts 8). Peter and John prayed for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit, showing that they were fully accepted into the Christian community.
Lessons for Today
This story teaches us that God has a sovereign plan and perfect timing. Sometimes his instructions may seem strange or even contradictory, but they are always rooted in his wisdom and love. It also challenges us to examine our own prejudices. Are there people or groups we avoid because of cultural or religious differences? Jesus calls us to love everyone without distinction.
Jesus’ command was not an act of discrimination, but a missionary strategy. Today, as followers of Christ, we are called to take the gospel to all people, breaking down every barrier of prejudice and exclusion. The love of God knows no limits, and neither should ours.
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