Sabbath: Jesus and the Social Outcasts
Read for This Week’s Study: Matt. 21:28-32, John 8:1-11, Mark 5:1-20, John 4:5-32, Matt. 9:9-13.
Memory Text: The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men,
(John 4:28-30, NKJV).Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?
A young woman-having come from an unbelievably sad and horrible background (which included two out-of-wedlock children by the time she was fifteen years old) sat in prison, awaiting trial for having murdered a social worker who had come to take away her baby, the only person from whom she ever felt any love.
Without mother, father, husband, any relative, or even a friend, she faced the forbidding future alone. Through the visits of a pastor, however, this hopeless young woman learned that – despite all the mistakes, despite the desperateness of the situation, and despite whatever loomed on the horizon – Christ loved and forgave her. No matter how society viewed this young girl, she knew, for herself, God’s eternal love. This social outcast discovered meaning and purpose in her Lord, whose love and acceptance transcended all societal norms and mores, even the good ones.
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I come to realize that no matter What people figure me out from the wrong I've done still I have the Best friend who care for me.
The story just said above is an experience I have been in for the last 63 years of my life
But with me the difference is that I had made certain people to be my mentors and I had them to encourage myself through tribulation.
An example of this is I made my principal to be my mentor between grade one and four I did that as I was growing up
And in the interim I met Jesus who gave me freedom of life
I happen to be a very brilliant person by nature but people took me as a mad person since I had been bipolar for plus minus 20 years but something so wonderful Jesus did He healed me And the happiness I experience now is wonderful
I am loved by people I do not know because I changed my attitude from being negative to being positive I tell people about what Jesus do for me and how wonderful is mercy I asked God for 4 things He has given me
I asked God to give me money, a husband, a house and my health And He has given me the 4 of them
I asked God the love from my children as I love they do not God gave a girl who adopted me to be her mother and I adopted her to be my daughter She got a boyfriend who has been asking her a hand in Marriage since 2007 they are getting married not very long and that boy has adopted me to be his mother How lovely is that I called my sons telling them I miss them and my grandchildren having my youngest he would meet me today He did not come
I cannot comment much of the given story because a lot of information is missing. Because culture plays a part in peoples' everyday living, what might be strange to us, might be the norm in other cultures. But I must say don't matter how we are mess up, the Lord always send someone to rescue us from out trials and tribulation, or he makes a way out. We have to claim the promises of the bible and our own.
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The so called social outcast are usually more emotionally receptive hence when they accept Christ, they do mavellous exploits to the bewilderment of the perceived elite class
I was in prison ministry for about five years and to me it is not easy. There is a lot of studied deceit and dishonesty in prison. I found that a good many of them just wanted something positive on their record so that they could get out early and do what they did before they ended up in the big house. I have also met some who were outstanding hypocrites. They were peaches and cream while in meetings but fire breathing dragons once they left for normal prison activities.
On the other hand, some that come to meetings honestly want something better. I have even seen men break down and cry because they hated prison so much and wished they never did what they did. I also met some that were very obviously wrongfully sent to prison for things that shouldn't deserve prison terms. One person in particular was convicted of trespassing and sentenced to three years in prison and only because of his association with the wrong crowd. Things like that just wrench your heart and yet you can't do anything about the situation except to pray.
I once got to talk to a prison warden one on one who I respected a lot and he told me that only about 10% of those in prison are really nasty; the rest just want to do their time and get out and get on with life. For those in prison ministry I think the trick is to find the real gems that not only are sorry for what they did but also want something more in their lives. They are the ones who like Abraham are looking "for the city which has foundations" (Heb. 11:10 NKJV). I think we need to remember that many of the disciples were zealots at one time who thought nothing of taking someone's life yet they were eventually transformed. And we can think of the thief on the cross, probably one of Barabbas's lieutenants, who saw something special in Jesus and because of that like Samson finially committed what little life he had left to his Lord.
Tyler, in your story you have already classified the good, bad and the worst which to me you are alredy on a wrong foot! It seem to me from your story you wanted to pray and save the "good" out of prison. I would therefore wish you went there even to pray and save the worst and the pretenders because these are also in need of salvation much as it takes a lot to save those.
when the world say i'm noboby, Christ says i'm somebody. Thank You Jesus for giving me hope in a hopeless world.
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A gret asuring story, only in Christ we can find this real true love.
Brethren, let's not judge others but rather let that weakness be one strong way to show the love of God to both the doer and the spectators.
PLEASE I have arequest of prayer l don know whats wrong. when l get a job l do it from monday to friday. since l cant work on a sabbath of the lord l get suspended. it has become my tribulation but through your word of sincere prayer l know my lord will do a mirracle
The knowledge of the love that our Lord Jesus has for us gives us the strength to face another day with hope and a feeling of peace.