Have you ever noticed what kind of people Jesus associated with during His life and earthly ministry? They were not exactly those who lived the lifestyle of the rich and famous. In fact, He was often criticized by the religious leaders of His day for spending time with publicans and sinners.

Just look at those who were blessed to see Jesus early in His life.

He was born of a poor farm girl married to a poor carpenter. He was born in a barn. Shepherds, who no doubt smelled like their flock, were sent to worship him. Only two elderly people worship Him in the temple. Gentiles, from another country and religion, are the only religious leaders who worship Him. He spends his childhood in the little town of Nazareth, and partly in Egypt to preserve His life.

None of these were famous or popular. Had they not been mentioned in Scripture, no one would remember them. They were the poor, the rejected, the wrong race. Basically, they were all outcasts.

Have you ever felt like an outcast? Does it seem like you just don’t fit into this world sometimes. Do you feel like you are alone? Do not weep for these situations. You are exactly the kind of person that Jesus would like to come into your house and have dinner or sit and talk for a while!

One of my favorite novels is “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton. It is the story of a group of ten boys and young men who just don’t seem to fit into society’s definition of normal and proper. Their story is marked by struggles and disappointments, but they band together with their one common trait, the were outsiders.

The people of God could learn a lot from these boys. We do not need to face this cruel world alone. There are other outsiders just like us. We can find them at work or school, or even in our own neighborhood. One of these places you can find them is church. In the worship of the Lord, you will find broken lives just like yours. But you will also find a different way of looking at them and yourself. You are not broken anymore, Jesus heals the broken hearted. God has made the outsiders kings and priests!