In Jeremiah 30:17, outcast means "thrust out of society" or "degraded person", in other cases it means "exile". Who do you think of when you hear these descriptions? An addict? Someone who suffers with mental illness? A person who is homeless? The truth is, all of us are or have been an outcast. You can be the outcast at your job, within your family, at your church or school, even amongst your friends. Every one of us has felt singled out, unloved, misunderstood, or unwanted at some point in our lives. It is easy to believe that God has forgotten about you when you are feeling so low but this is NOT true. He welcomes you right where you are at.
Outcasts were used by God many times in the Bible. In the New Testament, one of the first stories to remember is the life and ministry of Jesus leading up to the cross. He was often ridiculed, misjudged, and was very familiar with being an outsider. He came to this world to set us free from our sins and was rejected over and over again. There isn't an emotion or situation that we have had that Jesus has not felt or been through. He knows and loves our brokenness to an extent that we are incapable of understanding.
Another outcast that comes to mind is Saul of Tarsus. He was a Pharisee known to arrest and question Christians. Saul was an enemy to the believers of Jesus Christ. He even went so far as to approve and be present for the stoning of the apostle, Stephen, for his belief that Jesus was the Messiah. In Acts 9:1-7, Jesus appeared to Saul on Damascus road and converted him. Now, instead of arresting and killing Christians, he would begin preaching to them. Acts 9:26 says "When Saul went to Jerusalem, he tried to join the group of followers, but they were afraid of him. They did not believe he was really a follower." When Jesus converted him, Saul then became an outcast to the Christian community because of his past. Saul was later given the name Paul after he was baptized into Christianity and went on to become one of the most well respected men in the Bible. God uses the most unique opportunities to show us that those who are viewed as the LEAST will become the GREATEST!
Jesus did not hurt and degrade the outcasts He met . Instead, He created a renewed sense of personal value in them . He did this by loving and accepting them . And their hearts often melted when Jesus approached them warmly and lovingly . Jesus loves us and wants to have a relationship with us through our thoughts, our actions, and our words. If you would like to find out more about how to have a relationship with Jesus, need prayer, or a Bible, please ask one of the Feed Your Soul team members!