Hope Comes to the Social Outcasts Luke 2 Luke 2

Rabbinic sources: "most of the time they were dishonest and thieving; they led their herds onto other people's land and pilfered the produce of the land." God’s Announcement to the Outcasts And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. A midrash on Psalm 23 "There is no more disreputable occupation than that of a shepherd" Philo; "Such pursuits are held mean & inglorious."

God’s Announcement to the Outcasts An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

God’s Announcement to the Outcasts But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. God’s Announcement to the Outcasts This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

God’s Glory before the Outcasts Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. God’s Message through the Outcasts 15-20

17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. God’s Message through the Outcasts 15-20

19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. God’s Message through the Outcasts 15-20

Isaiah 53:3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Luke 17:25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. God Was an Outcast

Psalm 9:9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Psalm 146:7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, God Loves the Outcast

Luke 4: The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." God Loves the Outcast

Isaiah 1:17 learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. Isaiah 58:10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. God Loves the Outcast

God Uses the Outcast