We continued our Ray Vander Laan video series in Sunday school this week where Ray spoke on redeeming the marginalized. He started by describing how in ancient Israelite society, the family unit was structured around something called the Beth Ab, or “father’s house,” which wasn’t just a physical home—it represented a tightly connected extended family led by the patriarch.

Usually the patriarch of the family was the oldest male, and he was responsible for the well-being of everyone in the household. He controlled the assets, managed the land, and ensured the basic needs of the group were met, including food, water, clothing, and shelter. In that culture, a patriarch’s honor was measured by how well he used his resources to care for the family. God is often portrayed in the Bible as the ultimate patriarch—He owns everything and provides for the needs of His people, His spiritual Beth Ab.

Sometimes individuals became separated or marginalized from this family structure. For example, they might be kidnapped, forced out, neglected, or even choose to leave on their own. When someone was cut off from their Beth Ab, they no longer had access to their support system, resources, or place in the community. Ancient culture had a process for bringing them back, though—it was called redemption. To redeem someone was to restore them to their place in the family so their needs could be met again. Redemption wasn't originally a religious concept but a practical part of everyday life in ancient households.

There were four main types of marginalized people in this system. The first was the widow. In a male-centered society, if a woman lost her husband and didn’t have a male relative to care for her, she had no legal or social protection. The second group was orphans, especially children who had lost their father. Without a connected parent, these children could be completely excluded.

A third group included people who had become disconnected from the family for various reasons—maybe by their own choices or because of what others did to them. The prodigal son is a clear example of this. He asked for his inheritance early (which was unheard of and deeply offensive), left the family, spent all his money, and ended up starving. When he returned, his father welcomed him back full of joy with open arms, but his older brother was angry and couldn’t understand why grace was being shown to someone who had done wrong.

Lastly, there were strangers and foreigners. These individuals had no family ties, no inheritance, and no male figure to represent them. They were very vulnerable. Yet Scripture shows that these people are very close to God’s heart. In Deuteronomy 10, God repeatedly tells Israel to care for widows, orphans, and foreigners. Ignoring or mistreating them was something that made God angry. Verse 18 reads, “He [God] defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.”

The Bible gives many examples of redemption at work. When Haran died, his son Lot became vulnerable. Abraham, the next male patriarch in the family, stepped in to care for him. Later, when Lot was kidnapped, Abraham gathered 318 trained men and traveled more than 150 miles to rescue him. Redemption was (and is today) active, costly, and personal.

Another example Ray gave is Joseph. His brothers sold him into slavery, cutting him off from his family and making him a marginalized person by force. Yet God raised him up and eventually used him to save his entire family. The prodigal son, as mentioned earlier, chose to leave and was welcomed back with open arms by his father—an image of God's mercy. These stories show how people were either forced out or walked away, but redemption made it possible for them to be restored.

To redeem someone, two main things had to happen. First, whatever caused the separation had to be dealt with. If someone was a slave, a redeemer paid the price to buy their freedom. If a woman had been widowed, the nearest male relative might take her as a wife so she could have children and continue her husband’s family line. In the case of an orphan, someone might adopt them.

The second part of redemption was reintegrating the redeemed person back into the family or community. Sometimes this brought celebration like in the prodigal son’s story, and sometimes it caused resentment. People didn’t always like the idea of someone who had done wrong being accepted again, like Jonah who at first refused God’s calling to redeem the Ninevites.

This idea of redemption points to what God has done for us spiritually. Sin separates us from God. It cuts us off from our place in His household, just like someone being removed from the Beth Ab. But God, as the ultimate patriarch, wanted us back. He identified the problem of our sin separating us from Him and took action. He sent His Son Jesus to pay the price to bring us back into His family. That’s why Jesus’ death is called “redeeming.” It removes the thing that keeps us out. It welcomes us home.

Once we’ve been brought back into God’s household, we aren’t called to be mere passive members—we’re called to be a redeeming community. That means we look around and ask, “Who’s missing?” Who is still marginalized, spiritually or physically? Some people are hungry. Some are lonely. Some feel unloved, ashamed, or spiritually lost. Some have never heard about Jesus. Part of our mission is to recognize those people and do what we can to meet their needs, whether that means giving them food, listening, sharing the gospel, or helping them find their place again.

We can’t pay their spiritual debt—that’s something only Jesus can do. But we can tell them the good news that their debt has already been paid and they don’t have to stay in that place of separation. Like the prodigal son, they can come home. And when they do, our job isn’t to judge them or hold a grudge. It’s to celebrate and welcome them like the father in the story. Too often, Christians create communities that include some and exclude others. But if we really understand redemption, we’ll do whatever it takes to bring people back into God’s family.

They may choose not to come. Many people will stay away. But if we live like a redeeming community—if we love, serve, and tell the truth—others will notice. And God will use us to help restore them too. As Christians, we’ve been reconnected to God's Beth Ab. Jesus calls us family, and now we are called to help others find their way back home. That’s the heart of redemption. That’s our mission.