2026 Reading Plan Reflections - Day 13

Verse 5 stops us short:
“Jesus sent these twelve out and commanded them, ‘Don’t go among the Gentiles or into a Samaritan city.’”

If we read that as bias on Jesus’ part, we miss the point. Jesus isn’t drawing lines of worth—He’s teaching the disciples how the kingdom advances.

He goes on:
“Go instead to the lost sheep, the people of Israel… The kingdom of heaven has come near.”

Then come the signs—healing, cleansing, deliverance. These weren’t random miracles. They were straight out of Isaiah’s vision of what God’s reign would look like. Jesus sends the disciples first to the people who should recognize what’s happening.

So why the restriction? Because Jesus knows what easy success can do to the human heart.
Early “wins” among those with no framework might have tempted the disciples to think the power was theirs. Instead, Jesus sends them into familiar, resistant territory—people who knew the Scriptures but might still push back. Hard ground. Hard conversations. Hard faithfulness.

And that’s the lesson.

In Wesleyan terms, this is responsible grace at work. God supplies the authority, the power, the provision—but the disciples must obey, trust, and stay humble. The hard wins keep them grounded. They remind us that fruitfulness is never about personal strength or clever strategy, but about God’s glory and God’s initiative.

As the story unfolds, the mission will expand. Gentiles will be welcomed. Samaritans will rejoice. But first, the disciples must learn that the kingdom advances by obedience, not ego—and that God provides for what God commands.

Pause and Pray
Pray honestly: Lord, where am I chasing easy wins instead of faithful obedience?

Pay Attention
Identify one “hard” place God has already put you—your home, your church, your workplace—and commit to faithfulness there this week.

Live the Story
Act in trust, not applause. Do one small act of obedience today, explicitly offering it for God’s glory, not your own.