If you’ve ever felt like an outcast, be encouraged. You’re not alone. You’ve never been alone, even when it felt most like it. One of the great tricks the devil plays is convincing you to abandon hope in this world, rejected as a pariah. Don’t buy the lie.
 
In every group there exits an axis of power. I learned this at a very young age, as one who grew up under the thumb of oppression. My family was poor, so I was often snickered at, ridiculed, and publicly humiliated; and I’m just talking about elementary school (teachers included). I was discriminated against, kept after school without cause, berated, and even sent out to the school playground one time to catch a pet rabbit that had gotten loose. Oh, and since the playground was in a type of courtyard, everyone could see me chase the rabbit around like a stooge from inside their classrooms. Can you imagine if school administration tried this kind of stunt today? I learned early on that those in power sometimes abuse it and that abuse trickles down to the weakest of all, the defenseless, and the already downtrodden.
 
I was an outcast. It wasn’t fun. At the time, I wasn’t saved, so I didn’t have the encouragement I do today that comes from Jesus.
 
I’ve been reading the Gospel of Luke lately and it’s wonderful to see how Luke focused on Jesus’ ministry to the outcasts in society. In His day, that was the Gentiles (often referred to by Jews as “dogs”), Samaritans, women, children, tax collectors, prostitutes, and so on. From the outset of His ministry, Jesus directed His love towards these individuals.
 
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
- Luke 4:16-19
 
Most outcasts know their standing in society. And if they ever forget, the powerful are all too happy to remind them of their place because, well, let’s face it, in many cases, an outcast has “earned” their place. In my childhood, I was part of a broken family. My mom was twice divorced and living with four kids adjacent to an elementary school. I’m certain there were townies who turned their noses down at my mom and therefore at her children. If you’ve ever been convicted of a felony, and you’ve had to answer “yes” to this on a job application, you, too, likely understand the shame I’m referring to. Society teaches us early on that we have missed the mark (by the way, that is the very definition of sin).
 
While sinning is never a good thing, recognizing you’re a sinner is.
 
And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
- Luke 5:31-32
 
Jesus loved to encourage the outcasts. In a sense, He encouraged them to embrace their lot in life. The fact that group outcasts are generally oppressed is a dynamic worth understanding. The moment you become wise to the strategies of this world is the moment oppression loses its power over you.

And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
- Luke 6:20-23
 
If you’re an outcast. Own it. Remember, God ordained your life. If you’re an outcast because your personal sin has exacerbated your condition, then own that too. The only difference between a publicly known criminal and anyone else is that the latter has never been caught (disclaimer: I’m certainly not condoning or encouraging criminal activity or “raising the bar” so criminals somehow feel better about their sins; rather, I’m leveling the playing field).
 
One of the most beautiful, freeing things any sinner can do is confess who they are before the Lord. To accept your sins, repent, and ask for forgiveness is to shed the bondage to worldly oppression. It never excuses your sins (do not become licentious now) but it delivers you to a place of honesty before the one Person who can save you. We call this humility.
 
And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”
 
“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
 
“Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.
 
“Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
 
Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
- Luke 7:40-50
 
To summarize Jesus’ point: the person who is forgiven much, loves much. This woman, a prostitute, was well aware of her sinfulness. What freed her to worship her Lord was her humility. So often is the case with so-called “outcasts” of society. In a very strange turn of events, society does them a favor – it pushes them into the arms of Christ.
 
One last scene worth calling your attention to.
 
One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”
 
And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
- Luke 23:39-43
 
If you’ve ever felt like an outcast, know that your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ spent a lot of time during His incarnation ministering to your brothers and sisters in Him. Plus, there’s a quirky twist to your life’s story that reflects the Cross, itself. You see, Jesus was also considered an outcast. His society murdered Him. It was always meant to happen this way. To be rejected by worldly axes of power is a positive thing. Embrace it the way Jesus did. Own who you are. You’re not alone.
 
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
- Hebrews 12:1-2
Love in Christ,

Ed Collins