Jesus Was a Refugee—And So Were We

Jesus Was A Refugee

Recently, an Afghan family in my city received a Habitat for Humanity House. While you would think this would elicit joyous responses, the comments on Facebook were vitriolic. This comes at a time where our country is locked into a strong isolationist mentality and xenophobia (among other phobias) is at an all time high.

As disciples of Christ, we have a fundamental calling to stand up for the poor and needy. In this post, I want to explore the reality of Jesus’ refugee status. I have seen several Facebook photos of mangers where Mary and Joseph have been removed, leaving baby Jesus all alone and a sign saying “ICE was here”. Jesus was a refugee.

Micah 6:8

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

In my previous post on this scripture passage, I point to justice and mercy. Here, I asked what it means to be just.  As a spiritual practice, justice enhances one’s and others’ dignity and equality. It is a central tenet in all the Abrahamic, Dharmic, Chinese and Native traditions. It is seeing the other in those around us, seeing that despite colors of skin, nationality, gender, or social class, we ultimately at the end of the day are one.

We can practice justice by demanding it. Jesus was no stranger to this. He called people out all the time. My favorite is calling the Pharisees whitewashed tombs. That will preach as we used to say in seminary. In peace and justice work, the tongue is more powerful than the swords and acts of kindness are more powerful still.

Mercy on the other hand means means compassionate treatment. With this word, we begin to see a pattern in Micah 6. Micah’s words at the time of his words had implications for his people then and for us today. Speaking to the corruption he was witnessing in the cities of Israel and Judah. He is calling out the “sin” of the peoples in this place. From a Jewish perspective, sin generally is associated with some sort of taking advantage of or alienating a member or members of a community. In this case, Micah is calling out the people for worshiping idols that were bought through the income of prostitutes.

The essence of Michah 6:8 is the emphasis of the importance of ethical behavior and a close relationship with God. This means recognizing the dignity and equality of all people, transcending divisions like skin color, nationality, and social class. Practicing justice means standing up for what is right, as Jesus did, using words and acts of kindness as powerful tools for change. Mercy, defined as compassionate treatment, applies not only to others but also to ourselves. Inspired by Micah 6, mercy calls us to see every person as a reflection of divine love, the potential seat of Christ, deserving empathy and understanding.

Oppressed And Occupied

To get to the place of his birth, Mary and Joseph had to cover what is believed to be around 350 miles. They did the unthinkable to escape a ruthless authoritarian leader, King Herod, who ruled a Roman-occupied Judea from 37 BCE to 4 BCE. Shortly after Jesus’ birth, King Herod, driven by insecurity and the fear that Jesus would one day overthrow him, decreed that all boys aged two years and younger be killed. When Mary and Joseph caught wind of his devious plan, they took baby Jesus and escaped their home to Egypt. In this courageous act, the Holy family became refugees in a foreign land. This flight into Egypt is a powerful reminder that even the Holy Family experienced displacement and uncertainty, relying on the compassion of strangers for safety. Their journey echoes the struggles faced by countless families today who are forced to leave their homes in search of security and hope.

Some may argue that the family was not refugees in the sense that we use it today. The accounts of Roman occupation and the overall narrative of the Hebrew people being an oppressed and occupied people certainly fit the narrative and match the plight of many refugees today. Decades later, Jesus delivered one of his most famous sermons, where he famously spoke about “the least of these,” referring to people who were vulnerable, overlooked, and powerless in society. He reminds his audience that “If you do anything against these people, you do them against me.”

We are a Country of Refugees/Immigrants

In our narcissistic and self-centered American mindset, we have forgotten who we are. We have forgotten how and why our ancestors left their lands for the wide variety of reasons. We then used our Christianity to supersede the native practices of this land, committing a vast genocide in the process. We must reflect on our nation’s story, which is woven from the journeys of people fleeing war, famine, persecution, and hardship to find a place where they could thrive. Let’s not forget: turning our backs on the stranger is a direct betrayal of what it means to be American and what our faith demands of us. Welcoming outsiders isn’t just a nice idea—it’s a non-negotiable principle rooted in our nation’s founding and in every major faith tradition. If we refuse to open our doors, we’re refusing to live up to the very values we claim to cherish. Just as Jesus and his family sought refuge, so too have generations of immigrants and refugees who have contributed to the fabric of our society.

This Christmas

As we head into the final weeks of Advent and begin Christmas time, let us pause to reflect and remember who Jesus was – a brown skinned baby to brown skinned parents who were forced from their land to have a baby in the most inauspicious of places. Also, let us remember that God came to the lowest and least expectant person to bring the Christ child to us … a child herself, an immigrant, a story to subvert the norm to foreshadow the powerful words Jesus will speak from the mountain early in his ministry.

We are called to be watchful, later this is echoed in Jesus’s words about being awake, watchful. Christ is always in our midst. When we shut others out because of the color of their skin, because of our perceived cultural superiority, because of our hate, we miss out on potentially welcoming Christ.

May we open our hearts and doors, embracing every stranger as we would Christ Himself, and carry forward the true spirit of compassion this season.