“I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Matthew 8:11-12 (NIV)

At the time I was in high school ours was the most racially diverse school in the state of Iowa. This was not only true because of desegregation, but also because of the large number of Asian refugees who entered the state in the 1970s after the war in Vietnam. Add to these the large racial population differences the other social breakdowns of jocks, geeks, burnouts, band nerds, and the like that were common in the day. It was diverse community, though I remember there being relatively little conflict.

I spent most of my high school years in student leadership so I connected with and communicated with kids from all the various constituencies in our school. From an activity perspective I was at the heart of things a Fine Arts Loser largely involved in theatre, show choir, and choir. Socially, most of my high school years were spent as part of a tight-knit group of Jesus Freaks. We had a holy huddle that stuck together socially both inside and outside of school.

During those years a revival broke out within our student body. It happened through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and a number of jocks in our school became followers of Jesus. It’s hard to communicate how this reverberated throughout the school. There were some radical conversions of individuals I never would have expected to become believers.

What was fascinating about this event is that I and my friends in our holy huddle had nothing to do with it. Zero, zip, zilch, nada. Here we were staying in our lane, sticking together like a herd of scared deer trying to protect ourselves from prowling lions, and assuming that certain individuals would never, ever, in a million years consider believing in Jesus. Think Peter and the boys learning that their greatest enemy, Saul/Paul, had become a believer. It felt a little like that. So, I and my posse were really not a part of the spiritual revival, at all.

This was not lost on me.

In today’s chapter, we are still at the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry. He spent 40 days fasting and being tempted. He was baptized by John. He delivered His message on the mountain. Things are still in the launch period of Jesus’ Miraculous Mystery Ministry Tour. Along comes a Roman Centurion whose servant is sick.

STOP.

It’s easy to gloss over the 80,000 pound elephant in the room. Romans were hated. Romans were the oppressors. Romans were the enemy of Jesus’ tribe and occupiers of their land. Romans were despised, godless, violent, and merciless usurpers. Jesus’ tribe was waiting for the Messiah to arrive and wipe the Romans out in a holy bloodbath. It’s hard for a casual, modern reader to understand the social and cultural context of this Roman Centurion approaching Jesus.

Think a Russian military general approaching a Ukranian in occupied territory.

Think a German SS officer coming to a Frenchman in occupied Paris during World War II.

Think a Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan walking into a civil rights meeting to talk to Martin Luther King Jr.

Think Donald Trump walking into a local DNC resistance meeting.

What’s fascinating about this episode is that Jesus not only graciously accepts the Centurion and heals His “enemy’s” servant, but that Jesus then makes clear that this is just the first tremor of a massive, tectonic spiritual shift that Jesus is bringing. This is the tremor. The events of the entire book of Acts is the earthquake.

Jesus explains that individuals like this Roman Centurion (vile, hated, despised, enemy) will be seated at “the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus’ tribe considered this feast to be an exclusive, members only event for holy huddle members only. Jesus goes on to make clear that in the coming spiritual earthquake, those who are considered enemies will take a seat at God’s feast while those in the holy huddle won’t get past the doorman.

I’ve never forgotten that revival in my high school, nor have I forgotten that the only joy I experienced with it was to watch it happen from the cheap seats. I was too busy being a faithful member of the tribe. I was sequestered in my holy huddle assuming everyone outside of our huddle was an enemy to be avoided, if not feared and/or despised. How badly I missed Jesus’ entire Message.

In the quiet this morning, I find myself committed to learning from that lesson even though it is over 40 years later. Jesus’ core message was about the last being first, His love for the “least,” and God’s Kingdom operating opposite the hierarchical socio-economic caste system of this world. In God’s Kingdom,

I am to generously give if I want to receive.
I am to bless those who curse me.
I am to love my enemy, and pray for those who persecute me.
I am to rejoice in my suffering, especially being the object of hatred.
I am to die to myself if I want to experience real life.

And, I need to be willing to step out of my holy huddle like Peter stepping out of the boat to walk to Jesus on the water, if I want to be part of what God’s Spirit is doing.

If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.