Jesus had many traits of a refugee. Without a place to call home, He and his followers were a small group unwelcomed by Roman authorities and Jewish lawyers. His family members were certainly refugees when they fled to Egypt after Jesus’ birth, although they did return to Bethlehem to raise their Son. Jesus had a stable life there as a boy and young man, but in his adult ministry He was a nomad, like a refugee without a permanent home.
What Does it Mean to be a Refugee?
The word refugee’s earliest recorded use goes back to seventeenth century French. “Refugie” derives from the verb “refugier, which means "to take refuge." The definition accurately describes the situation of people in political asylum who are protected abroad from a desperate situation in their homeland.
Adverse social, political, and economic conditions drive refugees out of their homeland and into another country. These may be life-threatening conditions, such as a despotic government or government policy. War on home turf or persecution for practices that the government does not allow are examples of reasons refugees leave their own countries and seek a home somewhere else.
Why Did Jesus and His Family Flee to Egypt?
Jesus lived as a refugee with his parents when He was born. First, He was born in an unconventional place that was not his family’s home. Pregnant Mary and Joseph traveled by donkey to register for the Roman census in Bethlehem. Jesus’ young parents likely assumed they could stay with relatives from their royal House of David in Bethlehem, but the guest room was already occupied with other visitors to Bethlehem for the census. Making the best of the situation, Jesus’ family is given a place to lodge in the animal quarters of a supposed relative’s home (Luke 2:1-7). Staying with relatives or a community away from home is common among refugees
Jesus and his parents became even more like refugees when they fled to Egypt for greater safety. They heard the news that the leader of the Roman Empire in Israel, King Herod the Great, had ordered his soldiers to kill all baby boys under the age of two. Herod’s plan was to rid Israel of the threat of a newborn king—announced by shepherds and wise men—who could rule in Herod’s place. After Herod dies, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus left Egypt and settled in the city of Nazareth in the region of Galilee in Israel (Matthew 2:13-21).
Does the Bible Consider Jesus a Refugee?
Jesus described himself as homeless when he says to a teacher of the law who wants to follow Him, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). This was a caution to the teacher wanting to join Jesus: His ministry was homeless. Indeed, Jesus did not feel at home anywhere while He ministered to people.
Jesus stayed temporarily in other people’s homes, like the large home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus at Bethany (Luke 10:38). Before Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem, He stayed in the Capernaum home of Simon Peter (Matthew 8:14; 17:24). His followers fed and boarded their Savior and became Jesus’ family on earth.
Jesus appears to have little concern for His followers’ biological families when He says to a potential disciple. “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead” (Matthew 8:21-22). The man had asked Jesus’ permission to put off joining Him until his father died. Clarence L. Hayes explains in a Bible Study Tools article that Jesus’ response means the disciple must leave his father behind if he wants to do God’s work.
Adding to this aloof attitude regarding relatives, Jesus says, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” when another disciple tells Jesus His mother and brothers wish to speak with Him. Pointing to His disciples, he says, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:48-50). Jesus’ mother did join His traveling ministry in His last days, however.
Jesus of the Gospels is, therefore, an independent man traveling from place to place without a home or family to support Him—relying instead on His close friends and followers. He is like a refugee who moves into a like-minded community in a foreign country. Like some refugees today, Jesus is running one step ahead of the authorities--Jewish teachers and Roman authorities—and He keeps His identity a secret much of the time.
How Should Christians View Refugees in Light of Jesus’ Story?
A message Christians can gain from Christ’s life is that the Kingdom of God has no political, social, or ethnic boundaries (Galatians 3:28-29). Jesus’ life revealed that we are one in the Spirit; He loved people from every place and background. In Matthew 25:31-46, He identifies with the homeless, hungry, thirsty, alien, sick, and prisoners. Gerald O’Collins writes in his article “Jesus and the Homeless,” “He is the asylum seeker, he is the wounded traveler, he is the beggar covered with sores. Such people bring us the very face of Jesus.”
Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:27). He lived this commandment, interacting with Samaritans in Israel. Samaritans were a “despised minority” who were once foreign refugees in Israel. According to research in Alfred Edersheim’s book, Sketches of Jewish Social Life, many people in Israel would not touch a Samaritan’s food or food implements or even cross Samaritan territory.
Jesus dispelled this prejudiced idea when He told the parable of The Good Samaritan, a true neighbor (Luke 10:27-37). Jesus also spoke at great length with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:4-42) and told his disciples how the Samaritan leper was the only one of ten lepers to return and thank Jesus for healing him (Luke 17:11-19). Samaritans were neighbors of Jesus, regardless of the fact that they were descendants of Assyrians with different religious beliefs.
God’s apostles and prophets have always spoken of His heart for immigrants, refugees, and strangers (Hebrews 13:2; Deuteronomy 10:18-19). In their book Welcoming the Stranger, Matthew Soerens and Jenny Yang write that Christians “must first approach immigrants themselves as neighbors—with love"
And as Joel Ryan writes in his Christianity.com article, “Does the Bible Support or Condemn Illegal Immigration?”, “Therefore, the prayer of Christians should be for nations like the United States to develop an immigration policy that is compassionate, fair, and just for those seeking refuge from genuine persecution, oppression, or political turmoil.” The Bible explains that God is the one who rules over the nations (Psalms 22:28), and determines the “appointed times and boundaries of their habitation” (Acts 17:27).
A LifeWay research poll on immigration found a significant majority of evangelical Christians support immigration reforms that would pair improvements to border security with an earned path to citizenship. Our government can still address economic, security, and legal concerns that are relevant to U.S. citizens’ well-being. At the same time, we can bless the foreigners and the strangers that God has brought to our shores (Leviticus 19:33-34) and maintain our integrity as a nation.
Many of our immigrant ancestors landed on America’s shores believing in the words inscribed on the Statue of Liberty: “Give me your poor, your tired, you huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” The Bible says something similar about welcoming strangers in Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
The “rest” beautifully described in Psalm 23 is equivalent to peace, an end to searching. It describes the very heart and spirit of Jesus’ message in the Gospels.
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