The mission of Christ to recover the “lost sheep” of Israel is topic today, with more on whether atheists are increased by reading the Bible. A “Yahoo! Answers” writer using the ID “Ibrahim” (Level 4 with 2,922 points, a member since June 12, 2012) posted the following:
Those who believe in the Christ as their God, please come?
Hi my dear Christians ..
Here is a quotation from the Holy Bible, Matthew , verses 22-27,
It says,
22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.
27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table .
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Jesus Christ ( peace be upon him ) says that he was sent unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel ..
Now the question is,
Has anyone of you heard that verse before?
If you do, please explain to me,
If Jesus the Christ is God, why he was sent only unto the lost sheep ( lost people ) of the Jews ?
And sorry, my dear Christians, now I got another question,
What can you understand when you read these 2 verses,
25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.
————
NOTE, these questions are expected to be answered by the Christians ..
If you aren’t a Christian & want to participate, please respect the Christianity & the Christians ..
Additional Details
My brother,
Our dear Christians are grown up in Christians’ environments ..
By God, many of them are poor ..
I don’t abuse them when I say that they are poor ..
I feel sorry toward them ..
Ranchmom1,
Ok, let us examine your answer in details ..
You wrote, (( 1. Jesus is the Messiah promised to the Jewish people. The Jewish people were to be a light to the Gentiles He (God) says (to Israel): “I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Isaiah 49:6. ))
If Jews were the light of the God almighty, why did Jesus say, in the Gospel of Matthew 5:20,
(( “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” ))
Jesus Christ is telling you that if you want to enter the paradise, you must be better than the Jews ..
THE BATTLE AXE: On Producing Atheists (03/16/2013)—Both believers and non-believers who lack the Holy Spirit are impotent, un-teachable and useless as instruments of GOD for ministry, revelation, and worship. As lovers of argument, debate and friction, no atheist may effectively demonstrate the sacred dimensions of human reality, or carry out divine operations that make visible the divine presence. Grounded in “self-righteousness” and insisting upon a “religious liberty” whereby they may continue as childish regarding their own beliefs, many attack the practices and values of those around them. Such persons do not edify (i.e., unselfishly build up the understanding of others), provide no spiritual comfort, and proclaim no “good news” from GOD. No man imprisoned by self-centeredness, self-importance and self-justification can ever know the freedom believers achieve through the correct reading of Scripture, and a right knowledge of the living GOD.
THE GOLDEN ARROW: Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. (Colossians 3: 9-15, King James Version)
THE DOUBLE DAGGER: Vows and Covenants? (12/17/2012); Knowing Who Your Real Friends Are (12/11/2012); Suffering for Suicide (12/12/2012); The Priesthood of Kings (10/17/2012); Childlike Faith (10/18/2012); Still The “Chosen”? (03/19/2012); GOD Does Exist (03/20/2012); On the Messiah (02/19/2012); The First Jews (02/20/2012); The Cause Of Unrest (01/30/2012); The Need For GOD (01/31/2012)
Dear Ibrahim, it requires more than the few verses from Scripture that I might share with you here to correctly detail the action of GOD among mankind through Jesus. Even so, please consider the following:
1. A promised Messiah and anointed one (Christ) was to reign as a divine agent over Israel, and by extension, all mankind. An aspect of his mission would be to re-unify the scattered peoples. The tribes are spoken of as “lost”, yet, the areas where they were to be found, and their physical location was very well known.
2. Jesus appeared to reject the woman who pleaded for her daughter’s exorcism because he was portraying, and challenging, the historical attitude and response of the Jews to other Hebrews and Gentiles. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, from the lineage of David (and therefore entitled to be called “a Jew”, one from Judea). However, he was raised in Galilee, and was hated as if from one of the ten tribes that made up the Northern Kingdom.
3. The Unified Kingdom of David was lost through his grandson, Rehoboam. Ten tribes rejected rule by the house of David, and became the Northern Kingdom. Under Jeroboam son of Nebat, Samaria (Israel) rejected the Temple at Jerusalem, and chose idol worship and the Golden Calf from Egypt. Conquests by Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Medes, Greeks, and Romans did not fully destroy the covenant people. They were divided, and in spiritual confusion; yet, GOD continued to observe the divine promises, and sacred purposes established among the Jews.
4. The Scriptures use the phrase “the Jews” referring broadly to the Temple community consisting of beggars, elders, factions (e.g., Herodians (royalists), Pharisees, Sadducees), guards (security personnel), lawyers, Levites, livestock merchants, money changers (currency exchangers), petitioners, prophets, priests, repairmen (such as carpenters, roofers, stone cutters), scribes, and teachers. The Sanhedrin Council of seventy, and the various cliques and mobs that specifically opposed Jesus and his followers who continued as the early church, also are repeatedly called “the Jews.”
There is far more to be said, correctly applied, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, Israel was never to be regarded as a chosen people on the basis of their own righteousness. They were to be a device to demonstrate and display the steadfastness and righteousness of GOD to all mankind (called “the Gentiles”). The Scriptures are not to be regarded as a record of Jewish achievements, or their failures, so much as a chronicle of divine interventions, eternal and ongoing judgment, and divine wrath against sin. Because a balanced and full revelation of GOD is being documented, there are detailed presentations regarding atonement, compassion, forgiveness, healing, incarnation, love, mercy, and sanctification as well.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.
THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC
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