The Unexpected, the Element of Surprise—the Misfit.

There is power in the unexpected.

On the other hand, the expected is, well… it’s expected.

For instance: giving your wife flowers on your anniversary—expected.

In fact, if you don’t give her flowers, you’re probably in trouble.

But if you surprise her by giving her flowers when she’s least expecting them… Bam! Good work my friend.

See what I’m saying?

There’s something about the element of surprise and the unexpected.

When we spend our lives working hard to “fit in,” we simply live within the expected.

No surprise. No power.

It’s when we embrace our unique “mis-fit” that we stand out and begin to have real influence.

There’s a fascinating story of a Roman officer found in Luke chapter 7. It’s surprising, full of the unexpected… it’s the story of a misfit who captured the interest of Jesus.

Basically, this Roman officer had a highly valued employee who was sick and dying. The officer heard about Jesus and sent some respected Jewish elders to ask Jesus to come heal the man.

OK—that’s unusual. He was a Roman officer. Rome ruled the region. This man had the power to order any Jewish person around… including Jesus. But he didn’t.

And what’s even more surprising is that the Jewish elders actually came begging Jesus to heal the man, saying, “If anyone deserves your help he does—for he loves the Jewish people and even built a synagogue for us.” (Luke 7.4)

Talk about the unexpected, the element of surprise! Wow. This Roman officer loved the Jewish people and built a synagogue for them. Huh? That is unusual. Not normal. This man was a misfit.

Guess what? The power of the unexpected captured Jesus’ attention. He went with them to the man’s house.

On the way there comes yet another surprise…

The Roman officer sent some friends to say, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself by coming to my home, for I am not worthy of such an honor. I am not even worthy to come and meet you. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come.” (Luke 7.6-8)

Here’s the best part of the story:

“When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd that was following him, he said, ‘I tell you, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!’ And when the officer’s friends returned to his house, they found the man completely healed.” (Luke 7.9-10)

JESUS WAS AMAZED. He was surprised. He had encountered the unexpected.

This Roman officer wasn’t normal. He didn’t fit the mold. He was surprisingly different.

There’s an important lesson here…

When we look, sound, think, and act like everyone else—there’s no surprise.

That’s expected, and there’s no power in that.

Instead, be a misfit.

We were made to stand out, not blend in or fit in.

Be surprising. Do the unexpected—‘cause you’re a misfit.