Marginalized People, 31 January 2021
31 01 21 Filed in: Sermons | 40 Days of Prayer
Marginalized People
Series—40 Days of Prayer with The Alliance
Luke 18:1-8
Series Big Idea: We are beginning—and spending—the year on our knees seeking God’s direction, protection, passion, and unity.
Big Idea: We are to pray for and serve those who are unlike us, including those who make us feel uncomfortable.
What comes to mind when you think of marginalized people? Jesus announced to his friends in Acts 1:8.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
Last Sunday we talked about the e-word: evangelism. We said evangelism is proclaiming good news. It’s about introducing others to know our best friend, Jesus Christ. We’re inviting people to an eternal party. That often occurs in our Jerusalem—where we live, work, and play. Where is your Jerusalem? Where do you do life? Chances are, much of your time is spent with people who look, act, speak, and earn like you.
Many people are content to stop there, being witnesses in their Jerusalem. Honestly, I wish more followers of Jesus were committed to their Jerusalem, proclaiming good news to their friends and neighbors where they feel comfortable. But there’s more. Judea meant the next step beyond, not unlike our Home Missions Sunday two weeks ago. Samaria to Jesus’ listeners in Acts 1:8 meant the marginalized people, those who make us uncomfortable.
Jews and Samaritans did not get along. I’m not sure what the modern-day equivalent would be, but religious Jews saw Samaritans as impure and second-class. Most of us are familiar with the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke chapter 10 and how this supposedly ungodly man showed more compassion and love toward a stranger than the two religious Jews that saw him first and ignored him in his hour of need.
Who makes you uncomfortable? For some of you, the wealthy make you uncomfortable. You might be put off by the successful CEO, the corrupt politician, or the flamboyant celebrity.
When we think of the marginalized, it’s often someone on the margins of society, someone who doesn’t fit in with the mainstream. It could be a person from another country or another faith. The man covered in tattoos and piercings? The person with poor hygiene? The lady with the cardboard sign at the exit ramp? The members of the LGBTQ+ community? A woman who doesn’t speak English? An angry protestor?
Marginalized people are God’s masterpieces. Jesus died for them. Jesus loves them. Following Jesus means we are to love them, too…even if they make us uncomfortable.
But this is series on prayer. Our text for today is the beginning of Luke chapter 18.
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. (Luke 18:1)
Dr. Luke tells us what’s about to happen. Jesus is going to tell a parable—a story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. Before recording even a word of the parable, Luke tells us the big idea of the parable.
We should always pray and not give up. We could stop right now! Always pray. Never give up. Why would Jesus want us to understand this? It’s because we don’t always pray and we often give up, we grow impatient or tired, we think God doesn’t hear us, we assume He’s ignoring us or saying, “No.”
I suppose if there’s one thing I want you to get out of these 40 Days of Prayer it’s simply this: pray! Develop a habit of prayer, a rhythm of prayer. Pray continually as we said last week. Always pray and never give up.
He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. (Luke 18:2)
Jesus taught us to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. This judge neither loved God nor his neighbors. He did life his way.
And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ (Luke 18:3)
Widows today in our culture face great challenges, but in Jesus’ day, they may have been even greater. Without family or remarriage, they could easily become destitute. The fact that this woman was fighting for justice makes her condition even more dire.
Have you ever been a victim of injustice? We hear a lot about injustice in our world today, yet it’s tragically nothing new. Social media has allowed some injustice to be exposed—which can be good—but it has also allowed fake news to spread, creating new expressions of injustice.
At this moment, there are men, women, and children crying out to God, begging for justice, for help. It might be you! Many of us are marginalized. Perhaps it’s a single mom overwhelmed by the mess inherited after her husband abandoned her and her children. It could be the homeless person who lost everything after a lie convicted them of a felony and turned their life upside down. Maybe it’s the woman struggling with same-sex attraction after multiple men abused her and left her fearful of any male.
I’ve heard that once you’ve heard someone’s story, they can never be an enemy. God told the prophet Samuel,
The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7b)
I find it so easy to look at someone’s outside and make conclusions about what’s inside. We call this prejudice…pre-judging. I think we all do it, at times. If you don’t know what’s inside, all you can go on is what you see. We must be careful. Sometimes things are not as they appear…or even if they are, there’s a story that may need to be heard.
The person may be felon, but could’ve been wrongfully accused.
The atheist doesn’t believe in God, but may have lost their faith after being abused by a priest.
The annoying co-worker may be arrogant and narcissistic, but may have struggled their entirely life to get attention from parents who abandoned them.
Suffice it to say every human is a masterpiece with a story and a need for God. We’ll never know the silent prayers of others, yet so many pray for justice daily. If we stop and listen, we may discover we have more in common with “that person” than differences.
In Jesus’ parable, this likely-marginalized widow keeps coming to the judge for justice.
“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ ” (Luke 18:4-5)
I never noticed these last two words! I knew the judge became sick of her petitions, but he’s worried she’ll attack him if he doesn’t get her justice!
And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. (Luke 18:6)
I’ve often interpreted this parable to mean we are to bug God until He answers our prayers the way we desire. Certainly the message is to always pray and not give up, but there’s another angle to this. After all, God’s not worried about us attacking Him!
I’m reminded of Jesus’ words a few chapters back in Luke 11.
“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13)
If evil fathers love their children, imagine how much our Heavenly Father loves us.
If unjust judges are willing to honor the persistence of a victim of injustice, imagine how much our just Heavenly Father will respond to cries for help. Always pray and don’t give up.
And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? (Luke 18:7)
Why does God allow injustice in the first place? How could a loving God permit the abuse, violence, poverty, and hatred in our world? There are mysterious we can’t easily explain, but God wastes nothing, including opportunities for His followers to be agents of blessing, healing, reconciliation, and restoration. The real question is how could God love any of us?
Fortunately, this life is short…compared to eternity. Someday, God will bring about justice for His chosen ones, those who cry out to Him in prayer. We are often comforted by the words of Revelation 21 which says someday in the new heaven and the new earth,
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)
But what about now? Does God care for victims of injustice today? Does He do anything about the cries of the widow, the stranger, and the orphan? Can He hear the silent screams of the unborn who are never given a chance to live? Is He unaware of the wrongfully accused who are rotting away in a prison cell despite being innocent? Does He see the violence committed in our streets?
I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8)
The issue isn’t God’s justice but our perseverance in prayer…and obedience.
A man prayed, “God, why don’t you feed the starving children of the world” to which God replied, “Why don’t you feed the starving children of the world.”
We are to pray for the marginalized…and be prepared to be the answer to the prayer.
It’s the same with evangelism. We are to pray for the lost, but also proclaim good news. We need to get in the game! We need to get on our knees…and then obey what the LORD instructs us to do. It might be share our story or listen to theirs. It could be take someone out for lunch, help them fix their broken car or house, or babysit their kids. Maybe God wants you to volunteer, give money, or just spend time with someone very different from you.
Obviously we can’t be involved in the lives of every person on the planet, but could we start with one? Could you befriend one person who is different, hear their story, and help them out? One of my favorite quotes from Pastor Andy Stanley is, “Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone.”
Can you solve world hunger, racism, injustice, despair, homelessness, and hopelessness? Of course not, but you might be able to help someone.
So What?
We all have bad days. Life is hard. Jesus promised his followers trouble (John 16:33). But some of us have spent most or all of our lives on the margins of society, trying to fit in, get ahead, given an opportunity, or even find a friend. Every day God hears the cries for justice among the least of these Jesus spoke of, including the widow, the stranger, and the orphan.
The news is filled with stories of immigrants—legal and illegal—who are all masterpieces in need of restoration. I don’t have the answers to the challenges facing lawmakers, but I know there are refugees—many of whom are our Christian brothers and sisters—who are literally fleeing for their lives. Again, I’m not trying to get political because some issues are complicated, but can we recognize every masterpiece—every human—as created in the image of God with dignity, value, and worth? Can we pray for their peace and safety? Can we ask God how we can help? Can we get involved?
It might be as simple as volunteering with Water for Ishmael to help an English student in Toledo. They are always looking for conversation partners. Toledo is filled with people from other countries who are here to study at the university or simply taking refuge legally from persecution abroad. They are lonely. Many are scared. Many will eventually return to their homelands without a single American friend, which is tragic!
They are praying. Maybe we are the answer to their prayers. They may be as close as the person sitting next to you right now.
Some of you do this so well. You pray. You give. You serve. You love. Thank you!
Others of us—myself included—have some work to do. The message isn’t, “Try harder.” It’s trust God more. Trust God more fully with your time, talents, and treasures. Trust Him with your fears, insecurities, and discomfort. Trust that still, small voice which may be nudging you right now to take one step toward a marginalized person. Trust Him to provide the words you need to say or hear.
We can pray for others. We can answer the prayer of others. We can stand with the marginalized and speak up for those without a voice…the unborn, the oppressed, the violated, the abandoned, the afflicted, the suffering. We’ve been blessed to be a blessing.
One more thing…
Jesus was marginalized. The prophet Isaiah said of the Messiah
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. (Isaiah 53:2b-3a)
Is it any wonder that he said of our treatment of the marginalized,
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:40)
When we love others well, we love Jesus well.
Credits: some ideas taken from Rosilio Roman and The Alliance
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library here.
Series—40 Days of Prayer with The Alliance
Luke 18:1-8
Series Big Idea: We are beginning—and spending—the year on our knees seeking God’s direction, protection, passion, and unity.
Big Idea: We are to pray for and serve those who are unlike us, including those who make us feel uncomfortable.
What comes to mind when you think of marginalized people? Jesus announced to his friends in Acts 1:8.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
Last Sunday we talked about the e-word: evangelism. We said evangelism is proclaiming good news. It’s about introducing others to know our best friend, Jesus Christ. We’re inviting people to an eternal party. That often occurs in our Jerusalem—where we live, work, and play. Where is your Jerusalem? Where do you do life? Chances are, much of your time is spent with people who look, act, speak, and earn like you.
Many people are content to stop there, being witnesses in their Jerusalem. Honestly, I wish more followers of Jesus were committed to their Jerusalem, proclaiming good news to their friends and neighbors where they feel comfortable. But there’s more. Judea meant the next step beyond, not unlike our Home Missions Sunday two weeks ago. Samaria to Jesus’ listeners in Acts 1:8 meant the marginalized people, those who make us uncomfortable.
Jews and Samaritans did not get along. I’m not sure what the modern-day equivalent would be, but religious Jews saw Samaritans as impure and second-class. Most of us are familiar with the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke chapter 10 and how this supposedly ungodly man showed more compassion and love toward a stranger than the two religious Jews that saw him first and ignored him in his hour of need.
Who makes you uncomfortable? For some of you, the wealthy make you uncomfortable. You might be put off by the successful CEO, the corrupt politician, or the flamboyant celebrity.
When we think of the marginalized, it’s often someone on the margins of society, someone who doesn’t fit in with the mainstream. It could be a person from another country or another faith. The man covered in tattoos and piercings? The person with poor hygiene? The lady with the cardboard sign at the exit ramp? The members of the LGBTQ+ community? A woman who doesn’t speak English? An angry protestor?
Marginalized people are God’s masterpieces. Jesus died for them. Jesus loves them. Following Jesus means we are to love them, too…even if they make us uncomfortable.
But this is series on prayer. Our text for today is the beginning of Luke chapter 18.
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. (Luke 18:1)
Dr. Luke tells us what’s about to happen. Jesus is going to tell a parable—a story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. Before recording even a word of the parable, Luke tells us the big idea of the parable.
We should always pray and not give up. We could stop right now! Always pray. Never give up. Why would Jesus want us to understand this? It’s because we don’t always pray and we often give up, we grow impatient or tired, we think God doesn’t hear us, we assume He’s ignoring us or saying, “No.”
I suppose if there’s one thing I want you to get out of these 40 Days of Prayer it’s simply this: pray! Develop a habit of prayer, a rhythm of prayer. Pray continually as we said last week. Always pray and never give up.
He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. (Luke 18:2)
Jesus taught us to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. This judge neither loved God nor his neighbors. He did life his way.
And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ (Luke 18:3)
Widows today in our culture face great challenges, but in Jesus’ day, they may have been even greater. Without family or remarriage, they could easily become destitute. The fact that this woman was fighting for justice makes her condition even more dire.
Have you ever been a victim of injustice? We hear a lot about injustice in our world today, yet it’s tragically nothing new. Social media has allowed some injustice to be exposed—which can be good—but it has also allowed fake news to spread, creating new expressions of injustice.
At this moment, there are men, women, and children crying out to God, begging for justice, for help. It might be you! Many of us are marginalized. Perhaps it’s a single mom overwhelmed by the mess inherited after her husband abandoned her and her children. It could be the homeless person who lost everything after a lie convicted them of a felony and turned their life upside down. Maybe it’s the woman struggling with same-sex attraction after multiple men abused her and left her fearful of any male.
I’ve heard that once you’ve heard someone’s story, they can never be an enemy. God told the prophet Samuel,
The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7b)
I find it so easy to look at someone’s outside and make conclusions about what’s inside. We call this prejudice…pre-judging. I think we all do it, at times. If you don’t know what’s inside, all you can go on is what you see. We must be careful. Sometimes things are not as they appear…or even if they are, there’s a story that may need to be heard.
The person may be felon, but could’ve been wrongfully accused.
The atheist doesn’t believe in God, but may have lost their faith after being abused by a priest.
The annoying co-worker may be arrogant and narcissistic, but may have struggled their entirely life to get attention from parents who abandoned them.
Suffice it to say every human is a masterpiece with a story and a need for God. We’ll never know the silent prayers of others, yet so many pray for justice daily. If we stop and listen, we may discover we have more in common with “that person” than differences.
In Jesus’ parable, this likely-marginalized widow keeps coming to the judge for justice.
“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ ” (Luke 18:4-5)
I never noticed these last two words! I knew the judge became sick of her petitions, but he’s worried she’ll attack him if he doesn’t get her justice!
And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. (Luke 18:6)
I’ve often interpreted this parable to mean we are to bug God until He answers our prayers the way we desire. Certainly the message is to always pray and not give up, but there’s another angle to this. After all, God’s not worried about us attacking Him!
I’m reminded of Jesus’ words a few chapters back in Luke 11.
“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13)
If evil fathers love their children, imagine how much our Heavenly Father loves us.
If unjust judges are willing to honor the persistence of a victim of injustice, imagine how much our just Heavenly Father will respond to cries for help. Always pray and don’t give up.
And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? (Luke 18:7)
Why does God allow injustice in the first place? How could a loving God permit the abuse, violence, poverty, and hatred in our world? There are mysterious we can’t easily explain, but God wastes nothing, including opportunities for His followers to be agents of blessing, healing, reconciliation, and restoration. The real question is how could God love any of us?
Fortunately, this life is short…compared to eternity. Someday, God will bring about justice for His chosen ones, those who cry out to Him in prayer. We are often comforted by the words of Revelation 21 which says someday in the new heaven and the new earth,
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)
But what about now? Does God care for victims of injustice today? Does He do anything about the cries of the widow, the stranger, and the orphan? Can He hear the silent screams of the unborn who are never given a chance to live? Is He unaware of the wrongfully accused who are rotting away in a prison cell despite being innocent? Does He see the violence committed in our streets?
I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8)
The issue isn’t God’s justice but our perseverance in prayer…and obedience.
A man prayed, “God, why don’t you feed the starving children of the world” to which God replied, “Why don’t you feed the starving children of the world.”
We are to pray for the marginalized…and be prepared to be the answer to the prayer.
It’s the same with evangelism. We are to pray for the lost, but also proclaim good news. We need to get in the game! We need to get on our knees…and then obey what the LORD instructs us to do. It might be share our story or listen to theirs. It could be take someone out for lunch, help them fix their broken car or house, or babysit their kids. Maybe God wants you to volunteer, give money, or just spend time with someone very different from you.
Obviously we can’t be involved in the lives of every person on the planet, but could we start with one? Could you befriend one person who is different, hear their story, and help them out? One of my favorite quotes from Pastor Andy Stanley is, “Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone.”
Can you solve world hunger, racism, injustice, despair, homelessness, and hopelessness? Of course not, but you might be able to help someone.
So What?
We all have bad days. Life is hard. Jesus promised his followers trouble (John 16:33). But some of us have spent most or all of our lives on the margins of society, trying to fit in, get ahead, given an opportunity, or even find a friend. Every day God hears the cries for justice among the least of these Jesus spoke of, including the widow, the stranger, and the orphan.
The news is filled with stories of immigrants—legal and illegal—who are all masterpieces in need of restoration. I don’t have the answers to the challenges facing lawmakers, but I know there are refugees—many of whom are our Christian brothers and sisters—who are literally fleeing for their lives. Again, I’m not trying to get political because some issues are complicated, but can we recognize every masterpiece—every human—as created in the image of God with dignity, value, and worth? Can we pray for their peace and safety? Can we ask God how we can help? Can we get involved?
It might be as simple as volunteering with Water for Ishmael to help an English student in Toledo. They are always looking for conversation partners. Toledo is filled with people from other countries who are here to study at the university or simply taking refuge legally from persecution abroad. They are lonely. Many are scared. Many will eventually return to their homelands without a single American friend, which is tragic!
They are praying. Maybe we are the answer to their prayers. They may be as close as the person sitting next to you right now.
Some of you do this so well. You pray. You give. You serve. You love. Thank you!
Others of us—myself included—have some work to do. The message isn’t, “Try harder.” It’s trust God more. Trust God more fully with your time, talents, and treasures. Trust Him with your fears, insecurities, and discomfort. Trust that still, small voice which may be nudging you right now to take one step toward a marginalized person. Trust Him to provide the words you need to say or hear.
We can pray for others. We can answer the prayer of others. We can stand with the marginalized and speak up for those without a voice…the unborn, the oppressed, the violated, the abandoned, the afflicted, the suffering. We’ve been blessed to be a blessing.
One more thing…
Jesus was marginalized. The prophet Isaiah said of the Messiah
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. (Isaiah 53:2b-3a)
Is it any wonder that he said of our treatment of the marginalized,
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:40)
When we love others well, we love Jesus well.
Credits: some ideas taken from Rosilio Roman and The Alliance
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library here.