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Dear Father Angelo,

While reading the Gospel of Matthew, I realized a strange inconsistency.

In fact, Jesus declares that he was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Later, he states that the Gospel must be preached throughout the world.

Is it an actual contradiction or are they two complementary steps?

How to reconcile his animosity towards pagans with the universal salvation that is announced by many prophecies in the Old and New Testament.

Answer from the priest

Dear Davide,

1. St. Thomas also noticed that apparent contradiction.

Here is what the holy scripture says: “Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, ‘Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’” (Mt 10:5-6).

In fact, at the conclusion of the Gospel of Matthew, he says: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19).

In the Old Testament already, he had said through the mouth of the prophet Isaiah: “all mankind shall see it together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken” (Is 40:5).

Why then does he say not to go among pagans?

2. Here is the answer from St. Thomas: “It must be said that they were sent to both, but the order had to be respected.

And to the Jews first.

And one reason is that what justice demands takes precedence over what comes from mercy.

Now, it belonged to justice that they preached first to the Jews: since this had to be due to the promise, as we read in Rom 15:8: ‘For I say that Christ became a minister of the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, to confirm the promises to the patriarchs’.

Instead, they were bound to the Gentiles due to mercy; in fact, as we read in Rom 11:17, the Gentiles are wild olive shoots received by the olive tree, that is, by the faith of the ancient fathers; thus, it is said there: ‘you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place and have come to share in the rich root of the olive tree.’ Therefore, it was necessary first to nourish the olive tree, so as to receive something from it, and then graft the wild olive shoot onto it, as in Rom 11:17.

Likewise, wanting to bring the faithful into the faith of the fathers, he wanted the faith to be practiced first and foremost by the Jews.”

3. St. Thomas continues: “A second reason was that the Lord instills in everyone their disposition; now, many of the Jews were already disposed to faith. And just as fire acts first of all on nearby things, so the Lord, due to charity, wanted to act first of all on those who were nearby. Therefore, we read in Is 57:19: ‘Peace, peace to the far and the near, says the LORD’.

Likewise, if he had gone to the Gentiles first, the Jews who had a great hatred towards the Gentiles would have been indignant; from that in Acts 13:46: ‘It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first’. Therefore, he says not to go in the way of the pagans, that is, do not approach the way that leads the Gentiles, so that they do not speak of you”.

4. Jesus will say a second time: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Mt 15:24) when, while traveling outside of Israel, a Canaanite woman asked him to free her daughter who was severely tormented by a demon.

Again, St. Thomas contrasts that with the words of the prophet Isaiah: “I will make you a light to the nations, so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth” (Is 49:6).

And here is what he replies: “It must be said that he was sent to everyone to gather everyone into one house, but he was sent first to the Jews to transfer the Jews to the Gentiles”.

Which means to transfer to the Gentiles the promise that was made to the Jews.

As you can see, by transferring the promise from the Jews to the pagans, Jesus did not show any animosity towards the latter. Quite the contrary!

I wish you well, I bless you and remember you in prayer.

Father Angelo