He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. – Hebrews 7:13-14
Have you ever read The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien? Perhaps it can best be identified as the "prequel" to the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. In the story, Bilbo, a hobbit, is paired with 13 dwarves for a grand adventure through many treacherous paths. At one point, after facing many challenges already, the group arrives at Mirkwood, the enchanted forest. Bilbo is quite reluctant to enter, wishing he could leave with Gandalf, a wizard who had guided them to this point. As a hobbit, Bilbo was not expected to be an adventurer and, with his small size, was seen as only capable of helping with very small tasks. Although he managed to rescue himself once, many other times the dwarves, a hardy bunch, were expected to lend a hand in getting little Bilbo out of trouble. Despite knowing all of this about Bilbo, Gandalf turns to him and says, "You have got to look after these dwarves for me." Gandalf saw great potential in Bilbo. This unlikely scenario of the hobbit needing to assist the dwarves would have seemed rather funny to those listening. But Gandalf knew what he was talking about and, sure enough, Bilbo came in quite handy for those dwarves!It might seem like an odd introduction to give a brief, limited plot summary of a children's story, but as I read this I thought of how God looks at each of His children. He does not see what earthly eyes see, but instead sees the potential and the great plans He's prepared for each of us. Have you ever heard or thought something like this – I grew up in that neighborhood so there's pretty much no way I'm going to college. Or I'm a girl. I'm not supposed to be good at science. Maybe even I'm just a member of the church, not the pastor! What am I supposed to do about that?
It's for this reason that I love the above verse from Hebrews. Up to this point the author of Hebrews has been discussing the priesthood of Christ. Then here he suddenly notes that it was completely unexpected for Christ to be a priest since He came from the tribe of Judah. Essentially, Jesus was from the "wrong" neighborhood to be a priest. If you need another example, consider David. He was the youngest of his brothers and yet became the King of Israel. Then there's Joseph, a Hebrew in Egypt that after being a slave and a prisoner becomes the second in command of all of Egypt. Consider also
Paul, a man who persecuted the Church only to become one of its greatest missionaries! All were people who came from unexpected places to serve in great ways.
Perhaps you limit yourself because of who you are, where you grew up, how much money you have, what kind of education you've received, how you look . . . the list is endless. God says today – I created you for My Glory. I handcrafted and formed you with every aspect of your life in mind. You might seem like the "unlikely" or "unexpected" candidate for something, but know that if I have called you to it, I give you the strength and ability to fulfill it.
If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. – 1 Peter 4:11
Jesus himself, as a priest, did not come from the expected tribe. No priest had ever come from the tribe of Judah. What about you? What is unexpected of you based on your "tribe?" God might very well be calling you to exactly that. Don't deny yourself the possibilities of God's calling on your life, especially if He is leading you to them. You are not a statistic, you are not bound by your environment. You are a child of God created with purpose.
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. – Jeremiah 1:5a
