When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. (33-34)
Let me start this post with a few caveats, because I realize this is a touchy subject these days. First, let me assure you that this is not meant to be a political treatise. The current climate we find ourselves in is very complicated, to say the least. This passage is not directly referring to illegal aliens, and the bible has a lot to say about obeying the law. I also realize that “due process” is constitutionally different for different people depending on whether they are a citizen, a legal alien, or an illegal alien. Finally, from a hermeneutical perspective, I also understand that there is no one-to-one correlation between a law given to Old Testament Israel and the church in modern America. This passage was not written to us, but there is likely a timeless truth there for us. This same chapter addresses other contextually informed issues like slavery, tattoos, and revering the elderly, which are instructive for us today, but must be understood within the context in which they were written.
Yet, having led with all those caveats, I can’t help but see these verses as very helpful for informing our approach as children of God. This is not about closing the borders or prosecuting criminals; those things are complex and should also be biblically informed. Instead, this is about our heart posture as people who love God and demonstrate our love for Him by the way we love others. We should seek to do no harm to the stranger who lives among us and treat them like we want to be treated. I have lived in other countries for half of my life, and I know what it feels like to be an outsider. As a sojourner, I was very careful to obey the law and live thoughtfully in a foreign land, yet I also craved love, concern, and care from my neighbors.
Above all others, Christians should be the voice of love, warmth, and compassion in this discussion. When Jesus says we should love our neighbor as ourselves, He quotes from this chapter in verse 18. Then, in verse 34, He says the same thing about the foreigner—in other words, the foreigner (legal or not) is also your neighbor. Christians are referred to as “aliens and strangers” in a foreign land (1 Pet. 2:12), just as the Israelites were strangers in Egypt. No one should understand the plight of a stranger in a foreign land better than a spiritual sojourner whose home is heaven. Treat people like you want to be treated, love them as you love yourself—as the “native among you.” Regardless of the politics surrounding the issue, as ambassadors of Christ, our posture must always be one of love, compassion, and justice. This much is clear to me. What is your take on this?
5 Comments
Glenn · April 24, 2025 at 12:19 pm
Perhaps there is also Jesus’ words in Matthew Chapter 25 to consider. Who will Jesus perceive as His brethren? And then there are always those nagging words, forgive me as I forgive others. No easy answer.
Pat · April 24, 2025 at 12:57 pm
I agree with you, Kevin. I am responsible to live open-handed with my heart, resources and time. However, I want the law upheld by our elected officials and appointed representatives of our country.
Mike Bowien · April 24, 2025 at 1:06 pm
Dear Brother, this is indeed a hotly debated issue. Some will consider your post a political statement whether you intended to be or not. I agree with all of your so called caveats up to a point. That point being obedience to the law. I know that you have spent a good portion of your life in other countries. As your friend, I have kept up with your career and held you up in prayer to our Lord. However, not once did I ever consider that you have gone into those countries illegally. You went through the proper channels and obeyed the laws of that land regarding your presence there. Those who come to our country through illegal means are here to gain something that does not belong to them unless done so by legal and proper means. I do not harbor ill feelings to those who come here legally in order to have a better life. In fact, I welcome them as good Christians should. But to come here and have a child with the very purpose of that child becoming a citizen; to come here and not become a citizen and yet take jobs, take welfare, Medicare, and school scholarships without the intent to become a citizen regardless of how long or hard that is: is in its simplest form – thievery. Even our Lord protected Israel against such invaders in both the Old and New Testament. The Lord had harsh punishments against such as these. Yes, bring us good citizens, good families, good men and women who are truly pilgrims and sojourners and we will welcome them with open arms. But don’t send us thieves and murderers who just come to take and destroy what is not theirs. I love you Brother, but even God destroyed those who occupied what he had given to His children. The issues are complicated and it makes it hard to be obedient to our Lord’s commands and still be compassionate. After all, not many of us can see it from your perspective. I envy you, Brother. God bless you.
Kevin Rodgers · April 24, 2025 at 2:50 pm
Hey Mike, thanks for your comments. I am not saying I disagree with you or that the law should not be obeyed; of course it should. As a citizen of this country, I am thankful for the immigration reform that is happening and definitely think our laws should be enforced. However, as a citizen of heaven, I want to make sure that I don’t lose the kingdom values of love, compassion, and grace in the process. What happens in debates like this is that the radicals (on both sides of the debate) try to polarize the middle and force them into extreme positions on one side or the other. I am trying hard not to get caught up in that. One can be loving and Christlike and still close the borders and deport criminals wisely. You are right that the issues are complicated and so my caution for the church is, “In your efforts to support the upholding of the law, don’t forget who you are and what you believe about love in the process.” Both are right and both are good. I don’t buy into this false dichotomy that the media pushes which says, “If you are for the law you must be a jerk, and if you are for the downtrodden then you are a saint.” I worry that the church is being manipulated into becoming what the left falsely says we already are. I hope that makes sense.
Alice · April 24, 2025 at 2:41 pm
Moving to another country with another language isn’t easy. If your children are starving and there is no way to earn money for either parent except something illegal, one might be tempted to flee to another country.