Outside The Camp

05.05.09

J.A. Matteson

"Let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach." Hebrews 13:13

The Lamb of God is led outside the camp to die as a propitiation for sin and His followers are once again put to the test. To remain inside the camp is revealing and utter folly, “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matt. 16:25). To follow Him outside the city walls is to publically stress an involvement with Him and to risk assault by association. The lure of anonymity covers as a warm blanket, the temptation of the flesh is to evade association with the inflammatory Christ who forcefully blistered religious charlatans, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” (Matt. 23:29).

To deny personal dealings with the Lord by remaining inside the camp, reasoning that to do so will enable one to avoid personal suffering, is ominously perilous, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28). Let the professor of Christ bear in mind the Lord’s dreadful forewarning should he find himself inclined to remain inside the camp when the winds of public sentiment become contrary, “But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 10:33).

Following Jesus Christ outside the camp is to trod in the path of His dripping blood as a result of severe scourging, by doing so you publically identify with His reproach, intentionally placing yourself at a loggerhead with the guardians of religion and the outcome is the invocation of their fury as they in earnest determination seek to silence you as they sought to silence Him. Purveyors of religion remain inside the camp; they are content to watch from a distance as the Lord is led away to slaughter. And as He is escorted out of the gate some exhibit distain for the Savior before men, these never having confessed Him; others have confessed Him but for appearances sake calculate that they will not risk compromising their esteem before men to follow Him; it is a fearful thing to deny Him, “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Prov. 16:25).

Inside the camp religion takes on the appearance of prudence, expediency, pragmatism, tolerance, and compromise. What was it that contributed to the Lord’s eviction outside the camp? Beyond His bold claim to deity as the Son of God and charges of insurrection by human tribunals, was it not His persistent abandonment to the will of His Father, His unwavering adherence to Kingdom realities, His foregoing of that which seemed respectable to depraved minds, His rejection of rationalism in exchange for divine revelation, His stubborn insistence upon personal righteousness over human acceptance, His tenacious adherence to the pathway of holiness and obedience at the expense of fleeting popularity? To remain inside the camp is to be religious, to insulate oneself from conspicuous identification with the Galilean, to play it safe, to avoid controversy by compromising divine truth, to pander to human sensibilities, to seek to save your own skin from persecution and possibly death, to all this the Savior asks, “For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mk. 8:37).

In the eyes of depraved men Jesus Christ will always remain a problem, His sole focus was to please His Father irrespective of the consequences by sinful men, true pilgrims abandon themselves to His cause, joyfully accepting the consequences which follow, “Peter and the other apostles replied: ‘We must obey God rather than men!’” (Acts 5:29). The present hour affords the opportunity to follow the Savior outside the camp. Genuineness of a profession is known by its association, to profess Christ is to be aligned with the King, to be religious is to remain silent inside the camp. The Apostle consoles obedience, “But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts….” (1 Pet. 3:14-15).

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