8-21-2025

Good Morning All,

       Hebrews 13:12; “So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.” 

  Have you ever felt like you were on the outside looking in?  You know, when there is a group or a crowd and you don’t fit in.  It might be unintentional, like when a group of golfers begin to talk about golf and you don’t golf or when a group of farmers talk “farming” and you don’t farm.  You stand there and listen but if they talk “birdie, eagle and handicap,” what do you say? Maybe you think it is just about the alphabet when it is “FSA, CSP, CRP, PP,” do you just say “XYZ”?

    Sometimes the exclusion is intentional; there is a “members only” effect.  If you don’t have membership, you just can’t be part.  This can be a country club or a dance club or any other form of club. The thing about these clubs is that you can usually join if you pay the dues to belong.  You aren’t really excluded; you just choose not to be part of it.  Some groups are exclusive because they don’t want you to be a member.  They have something that you don’t and they don’t want you to have it.  It used to take the form of slavery or voting rights.  In many ways it still does.

    We are often on the outside looking in.  Sin puts us there.  Our verse refers to the fact that criminals were executed outside of the city walls.  This was to be a statement to those who were enemies and to keep the city clean and to move the criminals away, sort of “out of sight out of mind” idea.  Those that the city deemed “unworthy” were kept outside the gate.  People with contagious diseases, or mental illness, or who were guilty of other crimes were often left outside the gate.  Because of our sin, that is where we were.

    Yet Jesus came to us.  He came to us when we were outside the gate, when we were steeped in sin and unworthy of entering into the city.  By coming outside the gate and taking our punishment, we can now go into the city and enjoy all the benefits of living inside.  We have the safety of the walls, the companionship of the neighbors and the fresh water to drink and food to eat.  It is where we are safe.  This city is God’s kingdom.  We can live here forever.  The devil will try to draw you outside and convince you that you do not deserve the city but you should stay outside.

    Yet Jesus keeps coming back to us, even when we are outside the gates to retrieve us and bring us back inside of the gate where we are safe.  We can live in peace inside the gate; we have rest inside the gate; we have love inside the gate.  Trust in Jesus, no matter if you feel like you are outside the gate; he will bring you back- trust in Him.

Dearest Father, you sent Jesus to bring us inside your holy house, into your family.  Give us the strength to trust in you and to keep our faith alive knowing that all things work to the good for those whom you love.  Give those who feel outside the gate the comfort of knowing that you draw them in.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret