Jesus and the outcasts

One of the peculiar things about Jesus’ time on Earth was the people He chose to spend time with. 

Luke 15:1-2
All the tax collectors and sinners were approaching to listen to Him.  And the Pharisees and scribes were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

When someone was welcomed or you would eat with them, it was assumed to be an acceptance, or even an approval, of their lifestyle.

The upper class, who claimed to be closest to God, were baffled and ended up complaining that someone who has such a great following, such inherent authority, and such great wisdom…was not falling in line with the social norms of class and status that they followed.  Even Jesus’ disciples were amazed at who He would take time with.  For example:

Mark 10:13-16
People were bringing little children to Him in order that He might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.  When Jesus saw it, He was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me.  Don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”  After taking them in His arms, He laid His hands on them and blessed them.

Infant mortality was high in the ancient world.  As such, small children were of little value until they grew enough to contribute to the family.  Still thinking within society’s attitudes and values, the disciples thought it would be a waste of time for the Messiah to be with little children.

After recording Jesus’ most famous sermon, ‘The Sermon on the Mount’, Matthew describes the waves of people who were constantly approaching Jesus.  Matthew 8-9 records the following: healing a man who had leprosy, healing a paralyzed man without being physically next to him, healing Peter’s mom of a fever, casting out demons, healing those who were sick, healing a paralytic brought to Him, calling a tax collector to be a disciple, bringing a dead girl back to life, healing a woman who suffered from bleeding for twelve years, and healing two blind men.

All of these individuals were isolated in some way by their disease, their spiritual condition, or their job status.  They would have been on the fringes of society – those with diseases had to be physically isolated from others, it was generally assumed that those with broken bodies were being punished by God, those with demonic influences or behaviors were shunned, and tax collectors were considered to be traitors to their own countrymen.  For people in these groups, acceptance was hard to come by.

And yet, these were the ones that Jesus healed and spent time with.  At the end of Matthew 9, we find out why:

Matthew 9:35-38
Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness.  When He saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.

Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few.  Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

Jesus felt compassion for those who were cast aside, those who felt distressed and dejected.  He didn’t just acknowledge their plight and move on with His life – He stopped and took the time to interact with and help them.  Even if high society had different values.  Even if the religious leaders expected different behavior.  Jesus saw the crowds as sheep without a shepherd; they needed His compassion and leadership…and no one else thought they were important enough for either one.

Learning to see the crowds as He did was one of the lessons Jesus had to repeatedly teach His disciples.  It’s one we should expect Jesus to teach us, as well.

Jesus rebuked His disciples for hindering those they thought unworthy.  Jesus instructed His disciples to pray that God sends out more of His workers to reach out to society’s outcasts.  And then, in the next set of verses (Matthew 10), Jesus sends out His disciples to work.

Get your thinking corrected, pray for assistance, and then get to work.  That’s Jesus’ plan for those who follow Him.

Why?  Because He values the outcast.

Keep Pressing,
Ken