Your Daily Devotional for December 19, 2007

 

December 19,  2007

 

 

Without the Gate

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

 

"Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate."

 

Hebrews 13:12

 

 

Norman Vincent Peale tells about two men who were standing on Fifth Avenue at 57^th Street in New York City. It was during the Christmas rush and they were waiting for a red light. One of them was irritated by the traffic. "This town is totally disorganized," he growled. "Look at this traffic! It is terrible! Something ought to be done about it."

 

The other man was more philosophical. Thoughtfully he countered, "You know, it is astounding, the romance of it. There was a baby born of peasant parents in a little out-of-the-way place halfway around the world from here. The parents had no money or social standing, yet two thousand years later that little baby creates a traffic jam on Fifth Avenue, one of the most sophisticated streets in the world. This irritates you. Instead it should fascinate you."

 

Jesus Christ was an outsider from the beginning—He entered this world in a stable! Yet, His influence is still evident today. It is fascinating to know that a person from such a humble background lived an infamous life. I believe God uses the "outsider" more than the one who is considered socially acceptable. Jesus said, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God" (Matthew 19:24). We don't have to be rich, talented, or born into a prominent family to be used of God. Jesus was not, yet His influence transcends all time.

 

Jesus Christ did not begin to fit in with the crowd later in life. His situation was just the opposite. In Hebrews 13:12, Jesus left this world without the gate. He was considered an "outsider" from birth even until death.

 

We may not always fit in with the crowd, but that is all right. We are not supposed to fit in with this world. Although feeling like an outcast is difficult at times, we must remember that this world is not our home. Like one song says, we "…are just a passin' through."

 

Remember, God loved the outcast so much that He became one of them. Are you willing to live a life of rejection in order to fully follow Christ? Are you willing to love the outcast just as Jesus did when he taught the woman at the well, made time for the children, and fellowshipped with the sinners? Instead of spending too much time thinking about how much you are not accepted in today's society, determine to be the best Christian you can be with God's help. Reach out to the poor, the homeless, and the needy. Do as Jesus would do, and live as Jesus would live.

 

Daily Bible Reading

Jonah • Revelation 10

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