Outcasts: Tax Collectors & Lepers To describe who was outcast in

1st century Israel

To explore how Jesus responded to outcast tax collectors

1. Write out the list, in order of who you think would be most “outcast” to least, in 1st century Palestine. Give your list a title.

**who do you think was most “outcast” in Jewish society? Why?

• Leper (disease of leprosy)• Woman with menstrual bleeding• Tax collector• A non-Jew (a “gentile”)• A blind beggar

Tax Collectors – Outcasts 1Tax collectors were “unclean” in Jewish eyes, as they handled Roman coins (image of Caesar as god on them) and because they took money from their own people for a foreign occupying power. They often cheated people and took some money for themselves.

The Call of Levi (p.104)

Jesus asks Levi, the tax collector to “follow him” as a disciple. Then Levi has a party to celebrate becoming a disciple, and invited his tax collector friends & Jesus to come. Jesus eats with them.– None of them have shown they are sorry for their

way of life as tax collectors– They are not following Jewish purity laws about

cleaning plates and cups & washing hands before eating.

– Jesus does not seem to care that they are not keeping purity laws, or mind that he is eating with the “unclean”.

1. Why did Jews despise Jewish tax collectors?

2. How did Jesus show that he was not prejudiced against tax collectors?

3. What did Jesus say to explain why he was eating with the tax collectors? Write out the quote and explain it.

**Why didn’t Jesus care that the Jewish law was not being followed? What had Jesus come to do?

Lepers – OutcastsWatch the video about leprosy. Mindmap facts about this disease

leprosy

Nerve endings die – can’t feel

If you were cured, must get a bill of clean health from 2 priests before let back to society

Forced to live apart, as it is contagious

Forms blistersLoss of limbs, skin, flesh

Caused by bacteria

In Biblical times, you would have to ring a bell if you went anywhere to warn people

The Man with Leprosy

Read the story of Jesus healing the leper. P.106 or Mk 1:40-44

1. Summarise the story. Include how the leper asked Jesus for help, and what Jesus replied.

2. Why was it surprising that the leper asked for help?3. What do you think feeling Jesus’ touch did for the

man, apart from healing him?**How could this story be used to explain Jesus was

against prejudiced?

Outcasts – Lepers and Tax Collectors

Levi the Tax Collector The Man with Leprosy

• What do these stories teach you about prejudice?