In this series, Do it Anyway, we will look at some of the familiar teachings of Jesus that seem a bit tough and can cause us to have a variety of reactions. The teachings of Jesus, as we are told many times in scripture, astonished those who heard Him. This may be because Jesus used paradoxes to make people think outside the box. A paradox is a statement that contradicts itself and still speaks truth. These statements are often used in literature to challenge the mind and make a person think about a statement in a new way.

This week we look at the idea of being an underdog. When we hear this word we think of the sports world but we also think of an old cartoon called Underdog.
We know that the odds are against the underdog and yet we often root for them to win...up to a point. Studies show that while 88% of people get excited about an underdog, we will rarely do so if the result will affect us personally. In some cases we turn our back, withhold resources or a helping hand, and will instead turn toward the top dog, rather than the underdog
The underdog might be fun, but people wanna be the top dog. HELP THE UNDERDOG ANYWAY!

In the New Testament the religious elite loved to be the top dog. For them, the underdogs were people to talk about, mock, use, and condemn.
Jesus often used harsh words for religious people who thought and lived as they were the top dog. He referred to them as white washed tombs, brood of vipers, hypocrites, blind guides, and fools.
Jesus talks about the religious elite in Matthew 23:4-7.

The religious elite would not help the underdogs; they sucked up God's blessings and neither shared or gave them away to those who were truly needy.
Jesus was different. He cared about the underdogs. He helped the poor and broken-hearted.
He modeled this to his followers; this is our model as well. We are to give a darn, to be diligent, to act different, and to make a difference.

Of all the occupations at the time of Christ, the tax collector or "publican" was the most despised. There are a few reasons for this:
1. Tax collectors collected money for an oppressive government.
2. Tax collectors were seen as turncoats, traitors to their own countrymen.
3. Tax collectors cheated the people they collected from.
4. Tax collectors flaunted their wealth in front of others.
5. Tax collectors were considered to be condemned and hopelessly separated from God and society. Because of this they often formed their own cliques and socialized in their own homes for protection. The Bible tells several stories about these meetings. We find one of the gatherings in Matthew 9 and can learn a few lessons.

1. Underdogs are EVERYWHERE.
We see that Jesus was in or very near (v. 1) "his own town".
We must be active, keep our eyes open for opportunities, maintain a soft heart for others, engage them in conversation and establish a relationship, and challenge them into a relationship with Jesus.

2. Underdogs have TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL.
This story is told to us in the first 3 Gospels.
The intent here is to honor and share Jesus in front of his (Matthew's) friends and to make known his new life change.

3. Underdogs need SOMEONE TO STAND UP FOR THEM.
As we reach underdogs and see life change, others may misunderstand the situation, jump to conclusions, and make false assumptions just as the Pharisees did.
Matthew 9:11-13

Matthew became an Apostle of Jesus and one of the great leaders of the early church. Each of us have Matthews in our lives. They have needs, they are on the outside looking in, they have been shunned, and they are separated from God. They are an underdog that we could choose to help!

Discussion Questions:

1. Watch an episode of the cartoon Underdog and talk about it in your Home Group. Why was he called Underdog? What lessons can you learn and apply from this show?

2. Why do people like underdogs? Who have you rooted for/helped that could be considered a sports or social underdog?

3. Why is it that so many religious people act like the Jewish religious elite?

4. Who are some of the underdogs in your life (home, family, friends, school, work, etc.)? What potential do you see in their lives?

5. What would need to change in your life so that you could connect with people like Matthew and his friends?