Who Are the Outcast?

The context of being outcast
In Matthew 8, Jesus spoke of the “inheritors of the kingdom”, or, those who apparently are in God’s good graces and who will receive the kingdom of God on the last day but who will be cast out. These “inheritors” will not receive the kingdom of God because they do not do God’s will according to the teaching of Jesus. These apparent inheritors have built a structure which has its own laws and rules about who will be included in God’s kingdom apart from God’s righteousness. These are based on the traditions of men, rather than the distinctions that Jesus made.

What does it mean to be outcast?
To be outcast is to be told that you are not a part of the kingdom of God, nor ever will be. You are excluded. Set outside, rejected, separated from, persecuted, laws are made against you, hated, yelled at because of who you are, not what you’ve done. Perhaps you have failed to live up to people’s expectations or have crossed some unknown line. But you are neglected and all “good” people will have nothing to do with you.

Who are the outcast?
In Jesus’ day—tax collectors, women, sinners, prostitutes, Zaccheus, gentiles, lepers, and anyone who associated with Jesus.
In our day—Homeless, illegal immigrants, homosexuals, the poor, drug culture, belong to a cult, and many who follow Jesus strictly and abide by what he says.

What kinds of outcastness is there?
1. Socially—unacceptable because of social reasons (e.g. education, manners, inability to speak English well)

2. Righteousness—unacceptable because of evil done in the past, or done in ignorance

3. False righteousness—unacceptable because of standards of righteousness that were not handed down by God; unacceptable because of assumed guilt

4. Chronic problem—unacceptable because of constant demand to have needs met (e.g. chronic illness, mental illness)

5. —unacceptable because of one’s race, nationality, social group, culture

The outcast and the Anawim
The Anawim are those who are poor or vulnerable or persecuted and they cry out to God for justice. There are three categories of poor, generally, that are used in Scripture:

A. Those who are poor, but unrighteous. They are outcast from the inheritors of the kingdom of God, and it is as it should be. They are suffering injustice, but they are either oppressors of others or are trying to save themselves either by themselves or by a power apart from God. They still receive God’s benefits, such as their basic needs and an offer for salvation, but unless they repent they will not receive the kingdom of God. These poor would be considered outcast from society, but they are not inheritors of the kingdom of God and they are not among the Anawim.

B. The Anawim who cry out to God, but they don’t know how they will be delivered. These are people like Cornelius (Acts 10), Namaan (II Kings 5), and the Canaanite woman (Matthew 15) who are looking to God for salvation, but they don’t know how they will receive salvation. God listens to their cries and brings them a deliverer, which means Jesus. These people are outcast, but they are only potentially inheritors of God’s kingdom.

C. The Anawim in Jesus. These are those who suffer because they are living according to the life and teachings of Jesus. They have surrendered everything, and they are oppressed because they are righteous and they are vulnerable. God will deliver them and give them the kingdom of God. Everyone who is a true follower of Jesus is either part of the Anawim or they stand with the Anawim in their suffering, helping them as they can. These people are outcast from the apparent inheritors of the kingdom of God, but they are the true inheritors.

Should the church outcast anyone?
According to Matthew 18:15-17 and I Corinthians 5-6, the church should be involved in separating those who are entering the kingdom of God from those who do not. While unbelievers should not be excluded from Christian meetings, they should not be allowed to take the Lord’s supper or other signs of believers, nor should believers enter into long term contractual agreements with unbelievers (I Corinthians 10:16-21; II Corinthians 6:14-18) Most importantly, however, those who claim to be right with God but sin continually without repentance will not be able to enter into God’s kingdom, and the church must completely separate themselves from these (I Corinthians 5:9-13). Those who teach in opposition to what Jesus taught should be separated from the true inheritors of the kingdom (II John 7-10).

Those who are not to be outcast
Those who are unbelievers are not to be outcast (I Cor. 5:9-13). Therefore, if believers offer services (this could be a worship service or an act of benevolence) to anyone—believers or unbelievers, they should do everything they can to make them available to everyone, no matter what sin unbelievers are involved in (Matthew 5:43-48).
Those who are in the process of repenting of their sin are not to be outcast from the true kingdom of God—no matter how evil the sin. If you have someone who is repenting from sin, you must forgive them and receive them back into full fellowship. This is true, even if they’ve fallen away many times before. (Matthew 18:21-35)