What would Jesus do....about immigration?

In the 90's, several kids (and even some adults) started wearing bracelets with WWJD woven into them:  What Would Jesus Do?  The phrase quickly caught on and became even more popular than the bracelets.  In light of recent events related to immigration, I can't help but think, What would Jesus do?  Would He force people back to their countries, insisting that they don't belong here?  Would He accuse them all of being criminals?  Would He forbid them from receiving a quality education simply because they haven't mastered the language?  Most would agree that the answer to each of these questions is no; Jesus would not do these things!  

Over and over again in the New Testament we see a humble man who showed compassion to everyone He met regardless of their circumstances.  For example, He healed the woman with an issue of blood for 12 years even though everyone else had shunned her (Matthew 9:20-22).  He healed lepers and demon-possessed, the lame, blind, mute, and maimed.  It didn't matter the disease or how infectious it was; Jesus was willing to touch even the dirtiest and most rejected of society and make them whole again.  He even ate with sinners in an effort to show them the light (Matt. 9:10-13).

Unfortunately, in today's times, it seems that so many have forgotten what it means to show a light to those who are hurting and have special needs.  We judge too quickly and empathize too slowly.  We have discarded the words of Jesus when He said, "Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged..." (Matthew 7:1-2, NKJV).  

Jesus went about "all the cities and villages" (Matt. 9:35).  If someone had come to him from another country or village to be healed, would he have turned them away?  Would He have said, "Sorry, I can't heal you today because you're still an alien.  Come back when you're a citizen."  Of course not!  When he fed the multitude of 5,000 after delivering the sermon on the mount, there were probably many people who walked from very far away to hear His message.  But did He tell his disciples, "We only have enough food to feed the local people and everyone else can go hungry."  Of course not!

Our Savior also showed the importance of accepting people from other nations.  When He talked to a woman from Samaria at the well, she couldn't believe that a Jew was talking to her, "For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans" (John 4:9).  After Peter saw the vision of the clean and unclean animals coming down in a sheet, he understood that he was now to preach the gospel not just to the Jews but also to the Gentiles.  He later told Cornelius, "You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation.  But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean" (Acts 10:28).  Which people do you think of as unclean?  Which people would it be hard for you to share the gospel with?  Instead of Jews vs. Gentiles, we could easily put ourselves in Peter's shoes:  Americans vs. ___________________ (any other nationality!)

Jesus also understood that there were times that the people may need to flee because of persecution.  As He told His disciples in Matthew 10:23, "When they persecute you in this city, flee to another."  If someone had come to Jesus seeking asylum due to unsafe conditions in their country, do you think He would have said, "Sorry, no more refugees today.  Find another place to go."   Definitely not!

Not all of the immigrants followed the law to come here.  It's true.  Not all immigrants follow the law after coming to this country.  Also true.  But that doesn't mean we should show them any less compassion.  It could be that they endured extreme suffering before coming to this country that we can never begin to fathom because most of us will never experience anything remotely similar.  It could be that the ones who came here illegally actually have far more reasons to be here than the ones who came legally.  But it doesn't matter, because we don't know their full situation, we don't know their whole heart, and it's not our place to judge.  The purpose of this blog is not to argue about who should or should not be allowed in this country or condemn the laws; it's simply to think more about treating people from other countries the way Jesus would.

So, how should we approach the issue of immigration as Jesus would?  First and foremost by showing love and compassion to all people.  Second, we should not judge them unfairly, jump to conclusions, or make false assumptions.  Third, get to know them for who they really are; discover their talents and abilities; focus on the whole person, not just one part; and see what we can do to help.  The next time you hear something in the news about immigration and you're not sure how to respond, just think, "What would Jesus do?"