The Outsiders

Introduction

I have always wanted to fit in…but haven’t

Transition

Jesus recognized that His followers would struggle to fit in and addressed it head on.

Illumination

Matthew 5:10 NKJV

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Persecuted

Persecution Means More

The word translated persecuted, means “to drive away”. It seems like less on the surface (ie, no abuse) but carries greater significance; being cast out from your people, position, and place.

big deal for an Israelite

big deal for most people

Persecution Varies

Matthew 23:34–35 NKJV

34 Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

The word send is the greek word apostello, from which we get apostle. It is in the present tense and has the idea of continually send. How do people respond to those sent?

kill and crucify

scourge in the synagogues (or appropriate place of assembly by application)

persecute, aka drive out, from every city allowing for no refuge or place to be in.

Why all this persecution?

Righteousness

This is the crazy part: persecution comes on those who are right and just according to the standard of God, and in the eyes of God. Why does that make us candidates for persecution? It is the oldest response in the book.

Genesis 4:3–8 NKJV

3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. 6 So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” 8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

That response didn’t really make sense then and it doesn’t really make sense now. But as one author noted:

Believer’s Bible Commentary A. The Beatitudes (5:1–12)

Their integrity condemns the ungodly world and brings out its hostility. People hate a righteous life because it exposes their own unrighteousness.

The fact that some are righteous implies that all could be righteous. The unrighteous have chosen their path and don’t want to be reminded, on any level, that it is the wrong path. So they will eliminate or marginalize or drive away those who remind them. It does not make good sense, but they have already embraced bad sense, so it is consistent.

Finally Fitting In

The reward promised to those who experience persecution is the kingdom of heaven. Yes, it is where God is King and He could have called it the kingdom of God. But by calling it the kingdom of Heaven, He reminds us that it is a real place filled with real people. A place where we will belong and fit in. A people with whom we will belong and fit in. It is everything we want in this life but could not have.

Conclusion

The desire to “fit in” is an extension of how we were created; we were created to live in community where we could care, and be cared for, by others like us. The reality that Jesus wanted to be sure His followers understood, is that desire may not be fulfilled in this lifetime, but would ultimately and fully be fulfilled in the next.

Another place, not mentioned here by Jesus, is a place in this lifetime where outsiders should be able to belong: the church. In a very real sense, it is made up of people who, like us, have been driven away from their place and have coalesced into a new place. It may not be the kingdom of heaven, and it may not be perfect (because the people in it aren’t) but it is meant to be a place where God’s rule is recognized and God’s righteousness in people is meant to be embraced.

Application

When, and where, you don’t fit in, remind yourself that it is to be expected and accepted. look forward to the time and place of true belonging and lean into the place of temporal belonging.