Jesus seeks out the marginalised

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THE stories of Jesus on the road are particularly instructive and the ‘biker’s pastor’, Sean Stillman, who started Zac’s Place in Swansea, used the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19 to powerfully draw out the way Jesus went out of His way to seek out the outcasts and marginalised people and show God’s heart of love and acceptance to them. 

Sean said: “My activities have their origin in the motorcyle god squad in Australia, which later led me to work with the biking community in Swansea. We’d find a lot of people who would say, ‘I’d like to talk some more – but I could never go in a church.’ “

That, he explained, was the start of Zac’s Place. A place they could go and find acceptance. Sunday nights, music in a pub and doing stuff from the bible, and showing love. Not just bikers, but musicians and artists – a wonderful mix which included those  didn’t feel they fitted anywhere.

Then as things went on, as others were moving out of the city, we had the opportunity to buy an old Brethren chapel, and we moved in the other direction – into the city centre.

We wanted to feed the homeless, and we did a lot of that, also working closely with the youth offending team and drug agencies and others, all of whom were in contact with the same people.

Tuesday night is the tribal gathering when  we would expect 25 or 30 there from a group of twice that number who come regularly. It’s a time when people can be themselves. Probably 50 per cent have ongoing issues with addictions. It has similarities with an AA meeting. People have the desire to follow Jesus but they also have lots of hang-ups and problems, so they are like ‘walking wounded’ who are helping each other.

There was one young woman, she must have had a file at City Hall as thick as your arm, who had been sleeping rough for eight years. It was noticeable that she was the one who spotted a need and was first to look in her pack and bring out a nicely-folded, clean blanket to make another woman more comfortable

Another visitor came in singing at top of her voice, foul-mouthed and drunk, kicking off in a big way. A biker called Glenn gets a bowl of water and bathes her feet and her drunken singing changes to Yes Jesus loves Me. She was found dead 8 days later having overdosed, probably by accident. When we made the funeral arrangements, we discovered that was the song her dad used to sing to her as a child – it was buried deep within her. And 200 of the street community sung it at the funeral.

Mother Teresa said that Jesus turns up in many disguises. Often we learn things about the love of God, from them.

Zacchaeus – who gave his name to Zac’s Place – turns up in Luke 19, one of the stories of Jesus on the road. The ‘on the road’ stories of Jesus are particularly rich experiences for us. Zacchaeus the tax collector was wealthy from racking up taxes extracted from others that he would probably have known all his life. The fact that the account points out his shortness, probably means he was very short – and an object of ridicule in the community.

I was always the shortest during my time at secondary school and this was cruelly pointed out in front of everyone by the deputy head at my first assembly. So I can understand how Zac felt. Perhaps he, to, was mercilessly ribbed, and found a tax collecting career a way to get his own back. At any rate, he was a despised and hated person.

When Jesus says (verse 5) “I must stay at your house today”, He says – “I must”. He says, in effect, “You are the reason. Let’s spend some time together.” Who you ate with, said a lot about you, and the Pharisees picked this up in their mocking (verse 7).

Zac makes his declaration, that he will give half his possessions to the poor and pay back with interest those he had cheated. Jesus said: “This man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

It’s not an isolated story. Jesus goes to the margins of society. The woman at the well in Samaria. He didn’t have to cross the lake to see a mad man living in a graveyard next to a pig farm. The reason was, another person who needed to be included. Look at the stories of Jesus on the road – they are particularly instructive.

Think about the main characters in the Nativity account. All had different starting points. The shepherds who as an occupation, weren’t trusted to give evidence in court, were entrusted to be the first bearers of the Good News. Jesus met people where they were.

What is your community? Look around where you live, where you work, where you spend time. Who is hurting? Who is marginalised? What step can I take that will show them Jesus? 

It only takes one person. Operation Christmas child started when someone went to Australia, was on walkabout and had a hot idea. It’s a whole movement now. One person, one idea, makes a difference. Nothing is beyond God’s ability to use us.

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Jesus seeks out the marginalised