Champion of the Marginalized

As we enter into the Easter season, I want us to spend some time focusing on the Life of Christ.

The theme of our exploration is OUR CHAMPION!

I don’t know about you, but I need a CHAMPION these days!!! A Victor, one who OVERCOMES!!!

That one is Jesus...

Luke 4:18 NLT

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free,

Champions are victors, liberators, accomplishers!!! They represent a people to give victory to all...

There is no greater champion than Jesus! He is victorious in all He does! Even in his death, He championed the price of salvation!

This morning I want to speak about a group of people that Jesus Championed while alive. There is a lesson in here for all of us.

These days many use the marginalized for political power and manipulation. To act like they are champions of their causes, when they are really just using these groups to gain power and influence. Many are drawn in by what they see interpreting that for good and then others who see the manipulation come out and appear to be against the marginalized and even argue against those because of political persuasions. BOTH ARE WRONG.

Jesus is the perfect picture of one who CHAMPIONED the cause with pure motives. Love of the person!!!

He is our example - so today, I don’t want you to think like politics, but think like JESUS who Championed the marginalized!

1. The Weak and Infirmed

Jesus was unlike those of the day who rejected the outcast and weak. Many diseases were so feared that even according to Jewish law, people were separated and put out of society for safety reasons.

Today, many do not want to be bothered with the infirmed. Those in Nursing homes, with diseases, or mental and physical handicaps.

I read an article this week that stated that British Doctors were calling for the mentally handicapped (like those with Down Syndrome) to not be treated if they receive Covid. Here comes euthanasia of the marginalized in our society. The weak and helpless that are dependent on others for survival and care.

The greatest group of people like this in the day Jesus walked this earth physically were lepers!

You have heard me talk of them before. Their skin covered with disease, appendages falling off their bodies, and highly contagious - they were put out of their villages and forced to live in colonies of like people away from society.

To approach a leper or for one to approach you broke the LAW!!! (Sound like any rules lately?)

Mark 1:40–42 NLT

40 A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said. 41 Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” 42 Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed.

Mark records this account of Jesus healing the leper as his first INDIVIDUAL account of healing.

Pretty much in the day, if Jesus had touched a leper, no one would want to be touched by him!

He would have “cooties” so to say!

Both Jesus and the leper BROKE THE LAW in their contact...

Jesus could have just spoken the words - “Be HEALED” and it would have been done, but in act of compassion and demonstration of His willingness to love and help the outcast and marginalized - the sick, the unwanted - HE TOUCHED HIM!!!

Thus becoming the CHAMPION - or willing VICTOR of the unwanted outcast of society. Willing to fight for and help those no one else would even speak with, the under dog, and even break the law in so doing.

This speaks volumes to us today as the church to continue to be His hand extended to the outcast. To love the unwanted, to not be so concerned with our appearance and even safety that we would reject any person.

We need to be cautious to the politicization of people where we fail to be human toward the needs of others.

Jesus said:

Matthew 25:40 NLT

40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

2. Women

For millennia women have been the underdog in society.

Working for less pay, not allowed to work at all, easily divorced and cast off, abused and manipulated and left for vulnerable.

American society, though doing better than many -still has sub cultures that have left women in subservient roles to men, and at their disposal and for their use and abuse.

The rights and glass ceilings of women is of major concern these days, and even the protection of women with the whole separate bathroom issue and women sports another issue.

Yet, women have been left to be beaten, unbelieved, and are amongst those most marginalized.

It is woman who are trafficked the most and enslaved worldwide in the sex trades.

In some nations still, a woman has no position or power and if put out by her husband or widowed has little opportunity to provide for her family forcing her into the sex trade for survival.

This was very much the case in Jesus day. A woman had little to no rights.

Jesus was a champion for women. He did not use them, but saved and protected them! Freed them!

Brought them out from condemnation and restored them!

When the rules were different for men and women - he equalized them!

John 8:1–11 NLT

1 Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. 4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” 6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. 9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

Do you see how the law was stacked against the woman? The law actually called for both man and woman to be stoned, but society had shifted from the truth to just harm the weaker party.

Today, the rules still apply to women and not to men often because the man cannot control himself.

For years, in some religious circles there were all kinds of modesty rules - i am for modesty, for both genders - yet many seek to oppress women because men cannot control their lusts!

Perhaps you have a marginalized view of women today in this room, or perhaps you are a woman who has been marginalized.

Equality with men does not mean a woman has to become a man or like a man and reject her femininity. IN fact, the ERA movement and lesbianism has done more to marginalize woman to think they have to be like a man to be equal with men. Bringing them our from their naturally created being by God in order to protect themselves from harm.

Jesus saw right through this display.

Like the woman at the well in Samaria, and other women who approached him - the woman with the issue of blood - he did not reject them, he did not abuse them or use them - but he healed and forgave them.

The powerful words in this story is His proclamation to not CONDEMN this woman.

What situation had society thrown at her that she found herself prostituting herself for survival? IF this was Mary Magdalene - than this woman had been possessed by demons and needed healing and deliverance in her life - yet all came to condemn and none to help… until Jesus

Jesus recognized the very unique position a woman found her in, and met them there and offered forgiveness, restoration and healing.

Today, we need to understand, that though the woman was created after man it was not to be harmed by man - she was not created from his head to be over him, or his feet to be under him, but from his side to be beside him. As a partner, a companion. Not subservient to the man, but equal in consideration and loved by him.

in the role in the home, the man has the responsibility and will be required to answer to God - this is the role given him, but that does not mean his wife is his slave or servant. He is instead called to love her as Christ loved the church as we explored last week.

3. The Foreigner

I hope you all realize that if you went to a different country you would be a foreigner and would long to be respected as any other human being!

Just because someone is not from our land, does not mean they are not equally important and human and in before God!

Even in Jesus day, there were foreigners in Israel, and those who did not follow their Jewish customs and laws at that. In addition, when Jesus came, He came to save the Jew first — how does that make you all feel as gentiles???

Though he came to proclaim his Messianic ministry to Jews first, His ultimate goal was to include all people!

Deuteronomy 24:14–15 NLT

14 “Never take advantage of poor and destitute laborers, whether they are fellow Israelites or foreigners living in your towns. 15 You must pay them their wages each day before sunset because they are poor and are counting on it. If you don’t, they might cry out to the Lord against you, and it would be counted against you as sin.

Deuteronomy 24:17 NLT

17 “True justice must be given to foreigners living among you and to orphans, and you must never accept a widow’s garment as security for her debt.

OK REPUBLICANS --- if you are a CHRISTIAN what do you do with this???

Likewise Democrats here is a passage to explore regarding Christ...

Matthew 15:21–28 NLT

21 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.” 23 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.” 24 Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.” 25 But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!” 26 Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.” 28 “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.

Jesus actually argued with the foreigner for what RIGHTFULLY BELONGED to the Israelite first...

Our human world is a world of law with rights given to citizens in every nation… there is legitimacy to expect people to follow the laws of a land and give precedence to its citizens...

However, as followers of Christ - we do not seek to omit the law, but to go beyond in compassion on all people.

This woman was rightfully marginalized by the laws of the land - however, Jesus reached beyond to respond to her faith and set her daughter free.

He took the healing that was first intended for the Israelites and gave it to a foreigner.

We also see this principle when he ministered truth to the Samaritan woman at the well, who by law he should not have even been speaking too!

I agree that people should obey the laws of any land when entering it and seeking to work in it — our missionaries all seek to go by proper channels when entering foreign lands, and I have as well when I have traveled internationally. I do not think it is fair to set that aside for any group of people.

At the same time, PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE - and when they are here living amongst us - we are not entitled to mistreat them, look down upon them or ignore them.

Jesus ministered to this marginalized group of people. All people are created in His image regardless of color, culture or language. That includes white people too!

When will we realize there is but one race - the human race! and Jesus died for all!!!

Jesus was not as white as a European nor as black as an African - He was a Jew! and yet in this story where he was in Israel - a certified Jew - he gave healing to a foreigner!

CONCLUSION

Politics marginalize people! Both sides!

Societal pressures marginalize people!

Cultural norms marginalize people!

JESUS is the CHAMPION of the marginalized!

The weak and sick, women, the foreigner in the land… HE CARES and LOVES ALL and was WILLING to minister to all, to touch, to heal, to forgive, and give of HIs abundance and healing.

As people - we need to realize wherever we are at - He is there with us. EACH OF US IS EQUALLY VALUABLE AND HAS WORTH TO CHRIST - HE DIED FOR ALL!!! HE calls whosoever to Himself...

Revelation 22:17 NLT

17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.

and Christian, may our hearts be challenged that if our Savior was Champion of the marginalized - and we call ourselves followers of Christ, may we treat all people as He treated them.