Question 1

How does God treat outsiders?

Accepted Answer

Deuteronomy 10:18“He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing.”Psalm 146:9The Lord protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.Isaiah 56:8“For the Sovereign Lord, who brings back the outcasts of Israel, says: I will bring others, too, besides my people Israel.”Ezekiel 16:6-8“But I came by and saw you there, helplessly kicking about in your own blood. As you lay there, I said, ‘Live!’ And I helped you to thrive like a plant in the field. You grew up and became a beautiful jewel. Your breasts became full, and your body hair grew, but you were still naked. And when I passed by again, I saw that you were old enough for love. So I wrapped my cloak around you to cover your nakedness and declared my marriage vows. I made a covenant with you, says the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.”Ephesians 2:19So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.God brings outsiders in. He extends his love and draws those who have been on the outside into his family. No one is excluded from God’s love.Luke 7:47“I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.”Luke 15:2This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!John 8:11“No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”No one is beyond the reach of God’s love, not even the worst of sinners.Luke 8:27As Jesus was climbing out of the boat, a man who was possessed by demons came out to meet him. For a long time he had been homeless and naked, living in the tombs outside the town.No one is beyond the reach of God’s love, not even a demon possessed man.Matthew 8:3Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared.No one is beyond the reach of God’s love, not even lepers, those considered “unclean” and untouchable.John 9:35-38When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.” “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!” “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.No one is beyond the reach of God’s love, not even an excommunicated formerly blind man.Luke 10:33“Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him.”Luke 17:16He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.John 4:7, 9Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”No one is beyond the reach of God’s love, not even those often excluded for race, nationality, or social reasons.Luke 23:40-43The other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”No one is beyond the reach of God’s love, not even a dying thief.

Question 2

How should I treat outsiders?

Accepted Answer

Exodus 22:21“You must not mistreat or oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.”Ephesians 2:12In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.At some point every person has felt like an outsider. We should remember these experiences and feelings and use them to help us be empathetic with those who are being excluded.Genesis 23:4“Here I am, a stranger and a foreigner among you. Please sell me a piece of land so I can give my wife a proper burial.”Job 31:19-20“Whenever I saw the homeless without clothes and the needy with nothing to wear, did they not praise me for providing wool clothing to keep them warm?”Isaiah 58:7“Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.”3 John 1:5-8Dear friend, you are being faithful to God when you care for the traveling teachers who pass through, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church here of your loving friendship. Please continue providing for such teachers in a manner that pleases God. For they are traveling for the Lord, and they accept nothing from people who are not believers. So we ourselves should support them so that we can be their partners as they teach the truth.Outsiders have the same basic physical needs for shelter, clothing, and sustenance as everyone else. We should help them meet these needs. Then, through that relationship, we may be able to minister to their emotional and spiritual needs as well.Leviticus 19:34“Treat them [foreigners] like native-born Israelites, and love them as you love yourself. Remember that you were once foreigners living in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”Deuteronomy 10:19“So you, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.”We should treat outsiders lovingly, using the same respect and kindness we would appreciate and would show anyone else.Job 31:32“I have never turned away a stranger but have opened my doors to everyone.”Matthew 25:35-40“For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’”Hebrews 13:2Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!We should treat outsiders with hospitality.Leviticus 23:22“When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. Leave it for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the Lord your God.”Deuteronomy 24:19-21“When you are harvesting your crops and forget to bring in a bundle of grain from your field, don’t go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all you do. When you beat the olives from your olive trees, don’t go over the boughs twice. Leave the remaining olives for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. When you gather the grapes in your vineyard, don’t glean the vines after they are picked. Leave the remaining grapes for the foreigners, orphans, and widows.”God expects us to treat outsiders thoughtfully and generously. We should think about how we can use our resources (money, time, or skills) to help those on the outside to feel accepted and cared for.Exodus 23:9“You must not oppress foreigners. You know what it’s like to be a foreigner, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.”Deuteronomy 1:16“At that time I instructed the judges, ‘You must hear the cases of your fellow Israelites and the foreigners living among you. Be perfectly fair in your decisions.’”Deuteronomy 24:17“True justice must be given to foreigners living among you and to orphans, and you must never accept a widow’s garment as security for her debt.”Deuteronomy 27:19“‘Cursed is anyone who denies justice to foreigners, orphans, or widows.’ And all the people will reply, ‘Amen.’”Job 29:16“I was a father to the poor and assisted strangers who needed help.”Jeremiah 7:2-7“Go to the entrance of the Lord’s Temple, and give this message to the people: ‘O Judah, listen to this message from the Lord! Listen to it, all of you who worship here! This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “‘Even now, if you quit your evil ways, I will let you stay in your own land. But don’t be fooled by those who promise you safety simply because the Lord’s Temple is here. They chant, “The Lord’s Temple is here! The Lord’s Temple is here!” But I will be merciful only if you stop your evil thoughts and deeds and start treating each other with justice; only if you stop exploiting foreigners, orphans, and widows; only if you stop your murdering; and only if you stop harming yourselves by worshiping idols. Then I will let you stay in this land that I gave to your ancestors to keep forever.”Jeremiah 22:3“‘This is what the Lord says: Be fair-minded and just. Do what is right! Help those who have been robbed; rescue them from their oppressors. Quit your evil deeds! Do not mistreat foreigners, orphans, and widows. Stop murdering the innocent!’”Ezekiel 22:29“Even common people oppress the poor, rob the needy, and deprive foreigners of justice.”Zechariah 7:9-10“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other.”God expects us to treat outsiders fairly, justly, and not oppressively. Justice and fair treatment should not be based on social status. Everyone should be treated fairly.Exodus 12:17-20, 43-49“Celebrate this Festival of Unleavened Bread, for it will remind you that I brought your forces out of the land of Egypt on this very day. This festival will be a permanent law for you; celebrate this day from generation to generation. . . . This instruction applies to everyone, whether a native-born Israelite or a foreigner living among you.”Leviticus 22:17-19The Lord said to Moses, “Give Aaron and his sons and all the Israelites these instructions, which apply both to native Israelites and to the foreigners living among you. If you present a gift as a burnt offering to the Lord, whether it is to fulfill a vow or is a voluntary offering, you will be accepted only if your offering is a male animal with no defects. It may be a bull, a ram, or a male goat.”Deuteronomy 29:9-15“Therefore, obey the terms of this covenant so that you will prosper in everything you do. All of you—tribal leaders, elders, officers, all the men of Israel—are standing today in the presence of the Lord your God. Your little ones and your wives are with you, as well as the foreigners living among you who chop your wood and carry your water. You are standing here today to enter into the covenant of the Lord your God. The Lord is making this covenant, including the curses. By entering into the covenant today, he will establish you as his people and confirm that he is your God, just as he promised you and as he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But you are not the only ones with whom I am making this covenant with its curses. I am making this covenant both with you who stand here today in the presence of the Lord our God, and also with the future generations who are not standing here today.”Deuteronomy 31:12“Call them all together—men, women, children, and the foreigners living in your towns—so they may hear this Book of Instruction and learn to fear the Lord your God and carefully obey all the terms of these instructions.”Joshua 8:33-35Then all the Israelites—foreigners and native-born alike—along with the elders, officers, and judges, were divided into two groups. One group stood in front of Mount Gerizim, the other in front of Mount Ebal. Each group faced the other, and between them stood the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant. This was all done according to the commands that Moses, the servant of the Lord, had previously given for blessing the people of Israel. Joshua then read to them all the blessings and curses Moses had written in the Book of Instruction. Every word of every command that Moses had ever given was read to the entire assembly of Israel, including the women and children and the foreigners who lived among them.Colossians 4:5Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.1 Thessalonians 4:12Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.1 Timothy 3:7Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil’s trap.We should include people in worship who are not believers and share God’s good news with them, helping them find God’s love and acceptance.

Question 3

How should I handle being an outsider?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 119:19I am only a foreigner in the land. Don’t hide your commands from me!Romans 8:29God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.Romans 12:2Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.Hebrews 11:9Even when he [Abraham] reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise.1 Peter 1:17Remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.”1 Peter 2:11Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.We should realize that followers of Christ will always be “outsiders” in this world—our values differ from worldly values and our real home is heaven. On this journey, however, we have fellow travelers. Through their friendship and accountability, they can encourage us to humbly and faithfully obey God.Luke 6:22“What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man.”Luke 10:16Then he [Jesus] said to the disciples, “Anyone who accepts your message is also accepting me. And anyone who rejects you is rejecting me. And anyone who rejects me is rejecting God, who sent me.”We should consider our earthly “outsider” status to be a blessing, not a curse. And we should look forward to receiving God’s eternal blessing for the ridicule we endure on earth.

Question 4

Does the Kingdom of God have outsiders?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 22:7-10“The king was furious, and he sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their town. And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor. Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’ So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests.”John 10:16“I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.”Acts 13:47-48“For the Lord gave us this command when he said, ‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.’” When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were chosen for eternal life became believers.Romans 9:24-26We are among those whom he [God] selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles. Concerning the Gentiles, God says in the prophecy of Hosea, “Those who were not my people, I will now call my people. And I will love those whom I did not love before.” And, “Then, at the place where they were told, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’”Romans 10:13For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”1 Corinthians 1:24To those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.Ephesians 2:19So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.God does not show preference or favoritism among people. All are invited to be part of his family and live eternally in his Kingdom of heaven. He welcomes everyone who believes Jesus is the Son of God and puts their faith in him. But those who don’t accept the invitation will remain on the outside forever.John 1:12-13To all who believed him [Jesus] and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.John 6:37“However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.”Romans 2:4-11Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will judge everyone according to what they have done. He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.Ephesians 3:12Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.Hebrews 10:22Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.Revelation 22:14-15Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. Outside the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie.Because of our faith in Jesus, we can approach God knowing that he gladly welcomes us and will never reject us. The only outsiders in God’s eyes are those who have willfully rejected Jesus Christ.

Question 5

What does being an outsider feel like?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 21:14So Abraham got up early the next morning, prepared food and a container of water, and strapped them on Hagar’s shoulders. Then he sent her away with their son, and she wandered aimlessly in the wilderness of Beersheba.Psalm 107:4Some wandered in the wilderness, lost and homeless.Outsiders can feel lost. Often our relationships anchor us to a specific place and help us determine who we are and where we are in life. When those relationships are broken, we can feel abandoned and lost.Psalm 31:11-12I am scorned by all my enemies and despised by my neighbors—even my friends are afraid to come near me. When they see me on the street, they run the other way. I am ignored as if I were dead, as if I were a broken pot.Jeremiah 22:28“Why is this man Jehoiachin like a discarded, broken jar? Why are he and his children to be exiled to a foreign land?”Jeremiah 30:17“I will give you back your health and heal your wounds,” says the Lord. “For you are called an outcast—‘Jerusalem for whom no one cares.’”Lamentations 4:15“Get away!” the people shouted at them. “You’re defiled! Don’t touch us!” So they fled to distant lands and wandered among foreign nations, but none would let them stay.Outsiders can feel ignored, unwanted, uncared for, and unimportant.Jeremiah 20:10I have heard the many rumors about me. They call me “The Man Who Lives in Terror.” They threaten, “If you say anything, we will report it.” Even my old friends are watching me, waiting for a fatal slip. “He will trap himself,” they say, “and then we will get our revenge on him.”Outsiders can feel alone, even in a crowd of people.Isaiah 49:14Jerusalem says, “The Lord has deserted us; the Lord has forgotten us.”Outsiders can feel forgotten.Ephesians 2:11Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts.Outsiders can feel judged, ridiculed, and inferior. Many feel they were never given the chance to be on the inside, perhaps because of their appearance, social status, family, or other characteristic.Leviticus 19:33“Do not take advantage of foreigners who live among you in your land.”Micah 2:9“You have evicted women from their pleasant homes and forever stripped their children of all that God would give them.”Outsiders can feel exploited and vulnerable. Because they are on the outside, they cannot possibly know when others are plotting against them.Psalm 137:4How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a pagan land?Outsiders can feel distraught and depressed. Maintaining a healthy perspective on our identities can be difficult when surrounded by people who criticize us based on very limited and surface perceptions.Ezekiel 22:7Fathers and mothers are treated with contempt. Foreigners are forced to pay for protection. Orphans and widows are wronged and oppressed among you.Zechariah 7:10Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other.Outsiders can feel oppressed by people who seem to be on the inside. Those on the outside often feel as though everything in society is set up against them and that receiving justice is impossible.