He had to start somewhere.
The way Jesus worded what He said precludes this conclusion.
But He answered and said,
“I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” - Matthew 15:24
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew15:24&version=NKJV
Not, "I was sent to the house of Israel first..."
... and the Syrians, (Matt 4:24),
The Syrians had nothing to do with it. Read it more closely. The Jews in the synagogues were the ones bringing the sick. Syria was just where they were at. It doesn't say that he talked to the Syrians at all, let alone preached to them.
And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. - Matthew 4:23-25
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew4:23-25&version=NKJV
But during His ministry, He did preach to the Samarian
Samaritan. Not Samarian.
woman at the well and in their city, (John 4), . . . a Roman centurion, (Matt 8:8-13)
There are three Gentiles whom Jesus interacted with (one of whom was indirectly), the Samaritan adulteress at the well, the Roman Centurion's servant (about the Roman Centurion), and the Canaanite mother of a demon possessed daughter.
Exceptions prove the rule.
Without turning to the chapter, would you, based on your own doctrine, answer me this? What do you think Jesus' response to this woman's actions would have been, based on your beliefs:
Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” |
Would it be something along the lines of:
A) Jesus heals her daughter and moves on
B) Jesus asks her for more information
C) Jesus ignores her
What does the scripture following that passage say?
"But He answered her not a word." |
He ignored her, completely.
This woman came begging for Him to heal her daughter, and he ignored her.
Moving on... The disciples jumped in. Again, could you answer, based on your beliefs, what they would have said in response to Jesus ignoring the woman?
Would they:
A) Point out to Jesus that there's a gentile woman calling out to Him and ask if he will answer her
B) Heal the woman themselves
C) Tell Jesus to send the woman away
We see that they asked Jesus to send the woman away!
But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” |
Why? Again, she's a mother who likely deeply cares about her daughter, who is just seeking to have her daughter healed.
Based on your beliefs, what do you think Jesus' response would be, without turning to the passage? (hint, I've quoted it already in this post)
Would it have been:
A) "Oh, I didn't notice! Your daughter is healed, be on your way"
B) Ignore the disciples
C) Without addressing the woman, tell the disciples that she falls outside the scope of His ministry.
We see that C is the correct answer. He continues to ignore the woman:
But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” |
What happened next?
Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” |
What was Jesus' response?
Was it:
A) "Ok, fine, I'll help you."
B) Continue to ignore her.
C) Insult her by calling her a dog (a derogatory term for gentiles used at the time)
If you guessed C, you guessed right!
But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” |
What was her response?
A) "How rude! I'll go to someone else to heal my daughter!"
B) Fall on the ground weeping as they walk away
C) Acknowledge what He said, but keep begging in faith, even if its scraps from the master's table
Answer?
And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” |
What did Jesus say to her at this point?
Then Jesus answered and said to her,
“O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour. - Matthew 15:28
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew15:28&version=NKJV
Had he continued to ignore her, the people around Him would have seen Him as cruel, and had He refused, it would send mixed messages about what he was seeking from Israel, even though she's a gentile.
Notice what He said:
"great is your faith!"
Jesus came seeking the faithful in Israel.
Yet this Gentile dog had more faith than the children eating at the table!
So Jesus finally gave in, and healed her daughter. Had she not had the amount of faith she had, He likely would not have healed her daughter.
Your "only Israel" scripture was relevant only to the mission He sent His disciples on, in Matt 10.
Then show us where He commanded His disciples to go to the gentiles BEFORE His earthly ministry ended.
You can't, because He never did.
As for the Caanite woman in Matt 15, Jesus did end up saying..."O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour."
You say this while ignoring the entire rest of the story that comes before He said that.
It was ONLY because of her (and the other two gentile's) great faith that He responded to their requests.
Your gospel of division is man-made.
Saying it doesn't make it so.
Except for the Roman centurion, the Caanite woman,
Again, the exceptions prove the rule.
Supra.
You have taken a post-script and made it gospel.
Saying it doesn't make it so.
The post-script is that salvation does not come by the works of the Law, ie., circumcision, dietary requirements, tithing, feast keeping, temple worship, sabbath days, etc.
Paul is the one who said works (he didn't specify which) cannot save.
Salvation is made possible by the fact that our graceful God has allowed Jews and Gentiles the ability to turn permanently from sin, crucify the old man, and be raised with Christ to walk in newness of life.
Which wasn't what Jesus preached during His time on earth.
Reborn of God's seed.
The version of a "gospel" that you present robs men of that grace of God.
Saying it doesn't make it so.