Life outside the Camp

“The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭11 – 14‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬

If we follow Jesus, there will be times when He calls us to leave our comfortable place and join Him “outside the camp.” Outside the camp in the early part of the Old Testament was the place where rubbish was taken and burned, the place where the leftover bits from sacrifices were burned and the place where lepers and other infectious people were sent. It was also the place where extreme offenders were banished to. Interesting then that this is the place God chose for Jesus’ crucifixion – outside the Jerusalem’s gates, outside the camp in disgrace.

In European history we have seen Kings, Queens and other Royalty executed from time to time. Although highly unpleasant, these occasions were inside the City, often with a certain sense of order and dignity shown toward the victim. There was nothing noble about the execution of Jesus. He was deliberately put to death outside the City in order to avoid making the City unclean.

Hebrews reminds us that there will be times when our call to follow Jesus will require us to join Him ‘outside the camp’ and bear with Him that same disgrace. “Come to Jesus and share in His disgrace” said the evangelist – probably never.

So, to start with, what might the camp be for us? It might be groups that we’re a part of; social or friendship or work; it could be an organisation, family or even church. There may come a time when we need to pull away from one of these associations in order to avoid compromising our walk with Jesus. The majority opinion may well frown on our decision, and we will need to bear that sense of disgrace and stick to our calling and what we know to be right.

Like Jesus, it’s not that we have done something disgraceful, but sometimes it’s essential for us to join those outside the camp. It’s time to pull away from the direction of travel that others are on in order that we find the route that fulfils His purpose. Personal comfort and the approval of others are not reliable guides. Others may criticise us, look down on us, wonder among themselves what we are playing at, but if we know the leading of God (and is there any reason why we shouldn’t?) then we have no option but to follow Him and bear the disgrace of the mutterers and the nay-sayers.

Sometimes the camp may reject you, sometimes it’s essential to distance ourselves in order to fully step into His plan and purpose. Sometimes it’s clear that staying put involves compromise. Sometimes it’s not clear at all, just a vague unease with staying put; and you recognise that unease as coming from Holy Spirit. Sometimes events beyond your control put you suddenly outside the camp, but you know that it’s alright because somehow God is in this.

Beware when the camp says to you “it’s alright, just stay with us. We’ll make space for you and we can pretty well jog along if you don’t rock our boat.”

Unity is not uniformity, and there is a difference between brothers dwelling together in unity and living in compromise.

Not wanting to just ‘go with the flow’ and ‘keep the peace’ means that a decision has to be made. The courageous step may be to step out of the camp and bear the disgrace of Christ. Stepping out is hard. There can be nagging doubts – have I made the right decision. Nothing seems to be happening where you are now. God is a little bit quiet. He is testing you. He wants to see if you will hold fast to what you believed He asked you to do; that you won’t cave in for the sake of approval of others or comfort.

Aside from our own personal settings, I believe we are seeing some of this in the Church. People are having to step out of church systems that are willing to embrace ungodly practices and lifestyles. In my nation (U.K.) many in parts of the established churches are having to leave because they cannot follow Jesus and compromise at the same time. It might be alright if twenty of you feel the same way and move on together. The criticism and disgrace factor (“Church-splitter!”) is easier to bear. How does it work when you are the only one?

At the end of the day, when the camp is saying ‘we want you to just stay quiet while we do this thing or that thing‘ then it’s time to consider the words of Hebrews, “Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.”

The truth is that we are on a journey that may well take us through times in the wilderness, but the good news is that the wilderness does not last forever – and it is often the place where God is the closest. We are on a journey. We are not settlers. Where we are now is not our destination. As Hebrews puts it, “For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.”

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