Outcasts...

I know how it feels to be an outcast- NO fun! To be judged, shunned, picked on, the object of gossip- most of us have been on the receiving end and likely, we've dished it out on others a few times. The world can be a cold, hard, ugly place. I've also been praised and admired a time or two- ahhhhh- but okay those warm fuzzies went straight to my head- not good!!
Jesus loves "rejects", sinners and outcasts. He made it a point to hang out with them, knowing that when someone really feels loved, good things start happening. He sat talking & feasting with tax collectors, prostitutes and reprobates. The religious leaders of His time just couldn't figure this out. Surely this couldn't be a Holy man- the Messiah! God would never stoop so low as to dine with such great sinners! Or would He? In a time when Leprosy turned people into the living dead, Jesus closed the gap to touch and heal them. He wasn't afraid to get His hands dirty. He showed mercy to a whore about to be stoned and friendship to the lonely woman at the well. (Sometimes people are so insecure and hurt so deeply they don't even recognize what they really need.) Christ wasn't shocked or impressed by anyone- He simply kept reaching. Today, many of us find it hard to make friends with anyone who doesn't think or behave according to certain "prescribed behaviors". How many Christians do you know who have befriended someone with Aids? How many have ever spoken kindly to a prostitute, a gang member or a convict? How would the congregation react if a wino, drug dealer or a person with some big challenges walked into church? We tend to stay in our little bubbles and play it safe, after all- what would people say? Jesus could have reveled in the joys of wowing people with His intellect and worked His way up the ranks of church leadership. Instead He did the will of His Father, making Himself of NO reputation and simply loved. Knowing this draws me closer to God. Too many people have been abandoned- told they aren't good enough for our social clubs. Telling someone they are a sinner is about as useful as telling an obese person they are overweight. DUH! I want to stop pointing out the problems, and point to The Solution. God IS love and in His eyes there are NO losers! :o)