Who Are The Outcasts Today?

Who were the people considered to be outcasts during the time of Jesus? Who are the outcasts today? If we encounter them in the streets, how would we recognize them?

The Outcasts in the Past

We can find it easier to accept the outcasts in the past because we do not know them. They never harmed us or our loved ones.

Consider the tax collectors shunned during the time of Jesus. We can easily forgive them because they did not take anything from us.

Consider the prostitutes who came to Jesus. We see them only from a distance and no family could ever be broken today because of them.

The Outcasts in Our Presence

But what if we meet those people who have affected our lives in a negative way? What if we see Church officials like bishops and priests mingling with them like Jesus did? What if we see the Pope himself treating them well?

We may not even need to see it with our own eyes to get affected by today’s outcasts. We can feel troubled simply by hearing about them or finding them in the news or on various social media sites.

And it’s never easy to admit how we get tempted to look down upon them just like the Pharisees did. Instead of being judgmental, we say that we are merely “fighting for the truth”. Instead of being self-righteous, we say we just want to save their souls.

Who are today’s outcasts? They may not be the people you’d like to think about.

Instead of tax collectors, why not think about corrupt politicians? Instead of prostitutes, why not think about pro-choice women fighting for their right to abort their children?

We can go on citing this and that person like those in the LGBT community, those in favor of divorce and those seeking a blessing for their same-sex unions.

We can go on looking here and there and fail to look at ourselves and the condition of our souls.

The Tax Collector and the Pharisee

How different are we from those we want to save? How holier do we think we truly are?

Whenever we hear about the “Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector”, we may have always identified with the repentant tax collector. But are we like him? Or are we more like the Pharisee who says:

“God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.” (Luke 18:11-12, NRSVCE)

Instead of those words, we may have said something like:

“Lord, I thank you that I am not like these corrupt officials, drug addicts, alcoholics, divorced ones, same-sex couples and pro-choice women. I fast and donate my money to the Church. I follow all the rules. I read the Bible every day and talk about holy things with my online friends.”

The Infinite Mercy of God

It is not wrong to teach the truth and to correct our brothers who are tempted to sin. But we must do all things with love, respect and kindness. And while doing it, we must remain humble. We must never forget that without God’s grace, we can quickly fall into the same sins.

People are not led by harshness or rudeness. Let us never think that we can hide these things within the cloak of piety or zeal.

Let us hold firm to truth, but let us never forget about mercy. Only by being true models of love, patience and kindness can we ever convince people that God loves them and there is no limit to His compassion.

“Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
and righteousness will look down from the sky.
The Lord will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
Righteousness will go before him,
and will make a path for his steps.”
-Psalm 85:10-13 (NRSVCE)