Instead, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
In this passage Jesus directs his disciples to focus on the people of Israel, who were considered “lost sheep.” The expression “lost sheep” symbolizes those Jews who had gone astray, turned away from God’s laws, and drifted from their faith. Jesus sends the disciples to restore and guide these people, to bring them back to the path of true faith. At this stage, the apostles’ mission was directed to Israel: to proclaim the news of the Messiah’s coming and to bring lost souls back to God.