MATTHEW 15:24

"But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

Inner Meaning

In DOASAM symbolism, this verse describes the mission of the Higher Self as it descends into the lower planes of consciousness.

Nothing here refers to an external nation or ethnic group.
“Israel” is the inner spiritual identity, the part of the human constitution capable of awakening to the Divine.

• “House of Israel” = the inner temple, the higher nature within the human being.
  
• “Lost sheep” = the scattered, wandering forces of the lower self — emotions, desires, impulses, and thoughts that have strayed from their spiritual center.
  
• “Sent” = the action of the Higher Self entering the personality to restore order and unity.

The verse describes the inner reclamation of the soul’s fragmented powers.

Symbolic Breakdown

The Higher Self (Christ‑principle)

Represents Atma‑Buddhi, the divine consciousness that seeks to redeem and reorganize the lower nature.

The Lost Sheep

Symbolize the unintegrated elements of the personality:

• desires without direction
• emotions without clarity
• thoughts without purpose
• habits without spiritual orientation

These are “lost” because they operate independently of the Soul’s guidance.

The House of Israel

Represents the inner spiritual structure — the part of the human being that can receive illumination.
It is the “house” because it is the dwelling place of the Higher Self when the lower nature becomes purified.

The Sending

Symbolizes the involution of the Higher into the lower planes:

• from the spiritual plane
• into the mental
• into the emotional
• into the physical

The Higher Self descends to gather, uplift, and unify the scattered forces of the lower self.

Esoteric Interpretation

The verse describes the inner work of spiritual integration:

The Higher Self enters the personality to reclaim the wandering forces of consciousness and restore them to their true spiritual center.

This is the “salvation” of the inner Israel — the awakening of the soul to its divine origin.

Comparative Symbolism

Jungian Psychology

The “lost sheep” correspond to autonomous complexes — fragmented psychic energies that must be reintegrated into the Self.
The “house of Israel” is the individuated personality, the psyche aligned with the Self.

Judaism

Israel symbolizes those who “struggle with God” — the inner aspirant who wrestles toward spiritual maturity.

Christianity

Christ’s mission is inward: to restore the divine image within the human being.
The “lost sheep” are the faculties estranged from God.

Hinduism

This mirrors the descent of Atman into the lower sheaths to reclaim the wandering manas and reintegrate it into Buddhi.

See Also

BIBLE VERSES