The Outsiders

Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled, and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.”  Matthew 8:10

With Anyone In Israel – The scandal of Jesus in His own country was this: He acknowledged that the Gentiles had faith in full measure.  No self-respecting Jew would ever have agreed.  The Gentiles were unworthy and unfit for God’s special grace.  That belonged exclusively to Israel, the chosen ones.  The Gentiles were outsiders – and needed to remain there – outside the holy places of the great God of Israel.  Yes, they could become believers, but they could never become what really mattered – Jews!

Jesus scandalized His heritage, His religion and ultimately His God when He told all those parables that set Gentiles and Samaritans in the place of favor.  He might as well have committed blasphemy when He lauded the faith of the Roman Centurion or the Syro-Phoenician woman.  Again and again, Jesus moved outside the Jewish expectations of rightful division. 

And that observation brings up an important question.  Are you following in His steps?  How many times have you looked for – and found – faith among those who are your “outsiders?”  How many times have you acknowledged the obedient and humble heart of that Catholic, that poverty-stricken Indonesian, that Wall-Street banker, that South American Pentecostal? 

The Greek text is a little more abrupt – and startling.  Oude en to Israel – “not even in Israel.”  The critical word here is oude, made up from ou (not) and de (but).  It must be contrasted with mede.  Oude is an expression that contains no conditional circumstances, whereas mede is found when certain other conditions apply.  When Jesus uses this word, He is saying that the faith He finds among the Gentiles has absolutely no rival in the house of Israel.  Did you notice that He marveled at this?  Do you realize that He was overwhelmed with astonishment and admiration?  He did not expect this.  Oh, you thought that because Jesus is God He could not experience typical human emotions!  Think again.  Jesus finds something amazing – the outsiders know what it means to honor and submit to His Father while His own people drag their feet and complain.

Where are your outsiders these days?  You probably won’t find them in the comfort of your nice, little church.  But you might consider looking in those places God inhabits – like jails and hospitals, street corners and shelters – oh, yes, and don’t forget the synagogue.