First Evangelists
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under reproof; but it will melt under the love of Christ. The missionary
cannot only relieve physical maladies, but he can lead the sinner to
the Great Physician, who can cleanse the soul from the leprosy of sin.
Through His servants, God designs that the sick, the unfortunate, those
possessed of evil spirits, shall hear His voice. Through His human
agencies He desires to be a Comforter such as the world knows not.
The disciples on their first missionary tour were to go only to
“the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” If they had now preached the
gospel to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, they would have lost their
influence with the Jews. By exciting the prejudice of the Pharisees
they would have involved themselves in controversy which would have
discouraged them at the outset of their labors. Even the apostles were
slow to understand that the gospel was to be carried to all nations.
Until they themselves could grasp this truth they were not prepared
to labor for the Gentiles. If the Jews would receive the gospel, God
purposed to make them His messengers to the Gentiles. Therefore
they were first to hear the message.
All over the field of Christ’s labor there were souls awakened to
their need, and hungering and thirsting for the truth. The time had
come to send the tidings of His love to these longing hearts. To all
these the disciples were to go as His representatives. The believers
would thus be led to look upon them as divinely appointed teachers,
and when the Saviour should be taken from them they would not be
left without instructors.
On this first tour the disciples were to go only where Jesus had been
before them, and had made friends. Their preparation for the journey
was to be of the simplest kind. Nothing must be allowed to divert
their minds from their great work, or in any way excite opposition and
close the door for further labor. They were not to adopt the dress of
the religious teachers, nor use any guise in apparel to distinguish them
from the humble peasants. They were not to enter into the synagogues
and call the people together for public service; their efforts were to
be put forth in house-to-house labor. They were not to waste time in
needless salutations, or in going from house to house for entertainment.
But in every place they were to accept the hospitality of those who were
worthy, those who would welcome them heartily as if entertaining
Christ Himself. They were to enter the dwelling with the beautiful
salutation, “Peace be to this house.”
Luke 10:5
. That home would be