But, before starting on this, it seems necessary to grasp clearly just what was Jesus' basic purpose in this, His life-work. Probably nine out of ten of His followers of today would say that it was to redeem mankind and convert the world to His teachings. Now, the evidence of the four Gospels is directly contrary to this view. Jesus had little regard for the Gentiles or Heathen, and no interest whatever in their conversion. His references to them are usually derogatory and rather contemptuous (Matt. VI:32; X:18; XVIII:17; XX:19; Mark X:33, 42, 43; Luke XXII:25), although there are one or two exceptions, when He is upbraiding the Jews for their unbelief (Matt. VIII:10; XI:21). Apparently He never preached to the Gentiles, and was loath to exercise His healing powers for their benefit. When the woman of Canaan besought Him to cure her daughter, He at first refused on the ground that His healing powers were reserved for the Jews. "It is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to _dogs_" (Matt. XV:26). In His instructions to His apostles and disciples (Matt. X; Mark VI:7-13; Luke IX:1-6), He does not enjoin on them to preach to the Gentiles, but, on the contrary, expressly prohibits them from doing so. "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and, into any city of the Samaritans, enter ye not" (Matt. X:5; see also Matt. X:23). The apostles, as judges in heaven, are to have jurisdiction, not over the Gentiles, but only over Jews. "Ye, also, shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the _twelve tribes of Israel_" (Matt. XIX:28). The angel who announced Jesus' conception to Joseph said that "He shall save _His people_ from their sins"--not the whole world or "all nations" (Matt. I:21). So the angel who announced the conception of Jesus to Mary said that God should give unto Him the throne of His father David, and that He should "reign over the _house of Jacob_ forever" (Luke I:32, 33). One of the first recorded utterances of Jesus is: "Think not that I come to destroy the Law or the prophets. I am not come to _destroy_, but to _fulfill_" (Matt. V:17). The converted Paul, with the over-zeal that often marks converts, conceived that his own mission was to _destroy_ the old Jewish law, and worked most successfully towards that end, overcoming the opposition of Peter, James, John and other intimate associates of Jesus (Gal. Chap. II). But Jesus, in adhering to the old Law, necessarily excluded from His scheme of redemption all Gentiles and others who did not practice circumcision and similar obligatory rites of the Jewish faith. Finally, we have Jesus' own clear and positive declaration of His understanding of His mission. "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matt. XV:24).