SEV Biblia, Chapter 15:24
Y l respondiendo, dijo: No soy enviado sino a las ovejas perdidas de la Casa de Israel.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 15:24
Verse 24. I am not sent but unto the lost sheep] By the Divine appointment, I am come to preach the Gospel to the Jews only. There are certain preachers who should learn a lesson of important instruction from this part of our Lord's conduct. As soon as they hear of a lost sheep being found by other ministers, they give all diligence to get that one into their fold: but display little earnestness in seeking in the wilderness for those that are lost. This conduct, perhaps, proceeds from a consciousness of their inability to perform the work of an evangelist; and leads them to sit down in the labours of others, rather than submit to the reproach of presiding over empty chapels. Such persons should either dig or beg immediately, as they are a reproach to the pastoral office; for, not being sent of God, they cannot profit the people. The wilderness of this world is sufficiently wide and uncultivated. Sinners abound every where; and there is ample room for all truly religious people, who have zeal for God, and love for their perishing follow creatures, to put forth all their strength, employ all their time, and exercise all their talents, in proclaiming the Gospel of God; not only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, but to a lost WORLD. Nor can such exertions be unsuccessful.
There the pure truth of God is preached, many will be converted. Where that truth is preached, though with a mixture of error, some will be converted, for God will bless his own truth. But where nothing but false doctrine is preached, no soul is converted: for God will never sanction error by a miracle of his mercy.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 24. But he answered, and said , etc.] To his disciples, who knew how limited their commission was, that they were not to go into the way of the Gentiles, not to preach to them, nor perform miracles among them; and therefore could not reasonably expect that either the woman, or they, on her behalf, should succeed in this matter. I am not sent, but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel ; as a priest, or as a Saviour and Redeemer, he was sent to make satisfaction and atonement for the sins of all Gods elect, and to obtain eternal redemption and salvation for all of them, whether Jews or Gentiles; but as a prophet, in the discharge of his own personal ministry, he was sent by his Father only to the Jews; he was the minister of the circumcision, ( Romans 15:8) that is, a minister to the circumcised Jews; he was sent only to preach the Gospel to them, and work miracles among them, in proof of his Messiahship; and upon their rejection of him, then his apostles were to be sent among the Gentiles; but he himself was sent only to the Jews, here styled the lost sheep of the house of Israel: by the house of Israel, is meant the whole body of the Jewish nation, so called from Israel, the name of Jacob their father, from whom they sprung; and by the lost sheep of that house, are more especially designed the elect of God among them: for though all the individuals of that house were lost persons, considered in Adam, and in themselves, as the rest of mankind, and Christ, in the external ministry of the word, was sent to preach to them all; yet the elect of God are only sheep: they are the sheep of Christ, of his pasture, and of his hand, whom he has the particular care and charge of; and who, in their natural state, are lost and straying, and could never find their way, or recover themselves from their lost state in Adam, and by their own transgressions; but he came to seek, and to save them, and to these his ministry was powerful and efficacious.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 21-28 - The dark corners of the country, the most remote, shall share Christ' influences; afterwards the ends of the earth shall see his salvation The distress and trouble of her family brought a woman to Christ; an though it is need that drives us to Christ, yet we shall not therefor be driven from him. She did not limit Christ to any particular instanc of mercy, but mercy, mercy, is what she begged for: she pleads no merit, but depends upon mercy. It is the duty of parents to pray for their children, and to be earnest in prayer for them, especially for their souls. Have you a son, a daughter, grievously vexed with a prou devil, an unclean devil, a malicious devil, led captive by him at his will? this is a case more deplorable than that of bodily possession and you must bring them by faith and prayer to Christ, who alone i able to heal them. Many methods of Christ's providence, especially of his grace, in dealing with his people, which are dark and perplexing may be explained by this story, which teaches that there may be love in Christ's heart while there are frowns in his face; and it encourage us, though he seems ready to slay us, yet to trust in him. Those who Christ intends most to honour, he humbles to feel their ow unworthiness. A proud, unhumbled heart would not have borne this; but she turned it into an argument to support her request. The state of this woman is an emblem of the state of a sinner, deeply conscious of the misery of his soul. The least of Christ is precious to a believer even the very crumbs of the Bread of life. Of all graces, faith honour Christ most; therefore of all graces Christ honours faith most. He cured her daughter. He spake, and it was done. From hence let such a seek help from the Lord, and receive no gracious answer, learn to tur even their unworthiness and discouragements into pleas for mercy.
Greek Textus Receptus
ο 3588 T-NSM δε 1161 CONJ αποκριθεις 611 5679 V-AOP-NSM ειπεν 2036 5627 V-2AAI-3S ουκ 3756 PRT-N απεσταλην 649 5648 V-2API-1S ει 1487 COND μη 3361 PRT-N εις 1519 PREP τα 3588 T-APN προβατα 4263 N-APN τα 3588 T-APN απολωλοτα 622 5756 V-2RAP-APN οικου 3624 N-GSM ισραηλ 2474 N-PRI
Robertson's NT Word Studies
15:24 {I was not sent} (ouk apestalen). Second aorist passive indicative of apostellw. Jesus takes a new turn with this woman in Phoenicia. He makes a test case of her request. In a way she represented the problem of the Gentile world. He calls the Jews "the lost sheep of the house of Israel" in spite of the conduct of the Pharisees.
