Jesus gave very clear instructions to the twelve, his first apostles. “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” He wanted to limit their and his mission to the familiar, to those he knew, to his own people. In meeting the Samaritan woman, the syro-phoenician mother, the people of the Greek cities of the Decapolis Jesus found his mission expanding to include others considered strangers. That is our story as well. We initially imagine that our circle of care includes only those we consider “one of our own.” God gently leads us to widen our circle of care because there isn’t anyone out there who is not “one of our own.”
JULY82020
By Church Staff
