When "Outsiders" Lead Us to Jesus

From the very beginning of the Jesus story, God makes something unmistakably clear: people who are considered outsiders matter to Him.

In Matthew 2, we find an interesting group of outsiders publicly recognizing and announcing the arrival of the Jewish Messiah. They are the Wise Men—Babylonian scholars, foreigners, and spiritual outsiders. They are not religious insiders; they come from the margins of Israel’s story, yet they are the ones who notice the star, trust the promise, and take the risk to show up and worship.

This is not accidental. God intentionally chooses outsiders to proclaim that the King has come.

The Wise Men were shaped by a legacy that began during Israel’s exile, when figures like Daniel spoke God’s truth in foreign courts. Over generations, those promises were preserved among people who did not appear to fully belong in the Jeswish story. When the sign appeared, they responded. They crossed borders, endured uncertainty, and entered a culture not their own to honor a King who came for them.

Meanwhile, the religious leaders knew the Hebrew Scriptures but did not move. They missed the miracle devloping in front of them becasue it wasn't what they expected, hoped for, or wanted.

This tension still exists today. Many who live on the margins—LGBTQ people, immigrants, those excluded because of race, disability, or past wounds—often sense hope in Jesus before they ever feel welcome in the church. They watch closely. They look for signs of grace. And too often, they are met with distance instead of delight.

The Wise Men remind us that God is not threatened by difference. Jesus did not wait until people were fully understood, morally aligned, or culturally acceptable before welcoming them. He received worship from outsiders and allowed their gifts to tell the truth about who He is: King of all, God with us, Savior who suffers with humanity.

To love like Jesus means standing where He stands. It means refusing fear-driven faith that guards belonging instead of extending it. It means choosing relationship over suspicion and compassion over control. Loving the LGBTQ community does not begin with agreement on every theological question—it begins with recognizing shared humanity and God-given dignity.

When the Wise Men left Jesus, Matthew tells us they went home “by another route.” Encountering Christ always changes our direction. Following Jesus leads us away from exclusion and toward love that costs us something.

The church does not exist to protect insiders. It exists to bear witness to a King who welcomed outsiders first. If Babylonian Wise Men could announce the arrival of Israel’s Messiah, surely, we can open our hearts, our tables, and our communities to those who have been told for far to long that they do not belong.

Because the gospel has always been clear: this King is for everyone.