{"id":1838,"date":"2013-02-04T15:26:56","date_gmt":"2013-02-04T15:26:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/onscripture\/?p=1838"},"modified":"2013-02-04T15:27:17","modified_gmt":"2013-02-04T15:27:17","slug":"immigration-reform-and-the-challenges-of-generosity-luke-422-30","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/onscripture\/2013\/02\/immigration-reform-and-the-challenges-of-generosity-luke-422-30\/","title":{"rendered":"Immigration Reform and the Challenges of Generosity (Luke 4:22-30)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/p>\n

By Matthew L. Skinner<\/a><\/p>\n

Charity doesn\u2019t leave us unchanged, which is just one reason why it\u2019s hard to make ourselves do it.<\/p>\n

To be more specific: when we extend generosity and justice to others, it alters our relationship to them. Especially when those \u201cothers\u201d are foreign to us. Hospitality has ways of making the people who receive it come inside and stick around, whether we really want them to or not.<\/p>\n

We see this on display in Luke 4:22-30<\/a>, which tells the second half of a story about Jesus\u2019 statements to a group assembled in his hometown synagogue, in Nazareth.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The story began, in Luke 4:16-21<\/a>, with Jesus unveiling his mission statement: he says he intends to be God\u2019s instrument for releasing people from oppression of all kinds \u2014 spiritual, economic, political, physical, and social. This is the first narrated episode of Jesus\u2019 public ministry in Luke\u2019s Gospel, and so it lays a foundation for everything that follows. Summoning from ancient Israel\u2019s scriptures grand themes about God-given justice and abundance, Jesus identifies himself as one determined to play a part in God\u2019s intentions to free humanity from its sufferings.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A Sudden Turn of Events<\/strong><\/p>\n

As the story moves into its second half, the crowd receives Jesus\u2019 \u201cinaugural address\u201d as very good news, for everyone appears happy to hear it.<\/p>\n

But then comes a jarring transition, and the episode turns combative.<\/p>\n

Just a few breaths after uttering such compassionate words, Jesus picks a fight where it seems none is waiting for him. He accuses his hometown community of gearing up to oppose him; or he predicts they will soon demand favoritism or prominence from him once he brings his ministry to other communities. Then, to pile on, he cites precedents for the idea of a God whose mercy refuses to remain bounded, recalling times when two of Israel\u2019s greatest prophets brought God\u2019s restoration also to outsiders \u2014 to a Phoenician family<\/a> and a Syrian military commander<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Charity might begin at home for Jesus, since his promises surely extend to the people of familiar Nazareth. But his charity won\u2019t remain limited to that place. The blessings of God face outward, always intent to benefit \u201cthose people\u201d as much as \u201cus,\u201d no matter how we intend to draw those dividing lines.<\/p>\n

Just as Jesus suddenly transitioned into a provocateur, the crowd reacts with inexplicable aggression. Their rage and dismay would be comical for its excess (think my beloved 49ers\u2019 coach Jim Harbaugh arguing with referees<\/a>) were it not so violent. How should we understand what fuels their sudden anger?<\/p>\n

Jesus\u2019 words to the crowd-turned-mob indicate they resist the notion that others will receive blessings equal to those promised to them. Of course, the antagonistic mob does not comprise every person who resides in Nazareth. Furthermore, and to stand against many longstanding misinterpretations of this passage, the mob does not represent \u201cIsrael\u201d or \u201cJudaism\u201d as a collective whole. Maybe their resistance teaches readers something about ourselves; the crowd is not unrecognizably selfish. Why then might they oppose the prospect of Jesus\u2019 improving the lives of outsiders who also suffer hardship?<\/p>\n

Maybe the reason is because benevolence isn\u2019t as pleasant as we like to think. Benevolence shown to me is great. Benevolence shown to you may have difficult consequences for me, especially if it unites us or leaves you with new advantages. Perhaps Jesus\u2019 intentions to improve people\u2019s lives far beyond Nazareth\u2019s boundaries mean that his friends and neighbors will lose a sense of privilege in connection to their celebrity native son. What if too many \u201coutsiders\u201d get embraced by this \u201ckingdom of God\u201d he\u2019s announcing? If others are really included, made to share in the same freedoms, things could really change. If Jesus\u2019 charity \u2014 widespread charity \u2014 means this crowd has to share a new \u201cnormal\u201d, the results could easily appear too costly for Nazareth.<\/p>\n

The crowd isn\u2019t entirely unusual if it is trying to protect its advantages. Their actions lead me to wonder: when does the prospect of freedom and justice extended to others endanger my own privileges and power?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Making Outsiders into Insiders<\/strong><\/p>\n

This passage reiterates a familiar biblical claim: God\u2019s grace extends to all corners of society. Simultaneously, the passage illustrates a too common human tendency to resist outsiders and their empowerment. In these respects, the passage offers perspective on the expanding conversations in the USA concerning immigration reform. The issue has been gathering momentum in political news during recent weeks and in the wake of President Obama\u2019s speech in Las Vegas<\/a>, much to the encouragement of faith-based groups<\/a> that have persistently advocated for immigrant rights and benefits. And it recently received a boost from the media when a coalition<\/a> of powerful Evangelical Christian organizations indicated the issue will be a priority for them in the months to come<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Immigration\u2019s Impact on the Church Pews<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

<\/embed><\/object><\/p>\n
\n

As immigration reform heats up in Washington this week, many religious leaders know first hand how the issue has changed congregations.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

<\/p>\n

There are both political and religious reasons for Americans to consider immigration reform. These reasons call not only for revamping our immigration policies but also for making our society more welcoming to would-be immigrants and our laws more compassionate toward those who seek a better life here. The reasons are varied, though they occasionally intersect, especially when we assert the importance of economic vitality, promoting children\u2019s health and opportunities, keeping families together, and treating the disadvantaged with mercy instead of contempt.<\/p>\n

But Luke\u2019s story about Jesus in Nazareth isn\u2019t finally about presenting Jesus as a model for niceness or fairness. Jesus\u2019 words and the crowd\u2019s response suggest that his ministry will empower many. Does that scare the folks in Nazareth? The thought of welcoming and empowering certain people toward citizenship scares many in America. Truly including newcomers will change the culture; it changes our neighborhoods, our workplaces, our most cherished institutions, and how we as a society will make future decisions. As we think through immigration reform, we need also to consider how we in the dominant culture cling to our privileges.<\/p>\n

An authentically Christian call to action concerning how this nation treats and welcomes immigrants must go beyond issuing moral platitudes and encouraging compassionate treatment of the needy. It must also acknowledge society\u2019s ingrained resistance to empowering its \u201coutsiders.\u201d Too often, whether in church or in civil society, those of us who hold advantages fear what we will lose them. Instead, imagine what we might all gain by promoting a culture of true hospitality and justice.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

For Further Reading:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n<\/p>

  • David Nakamura and Felicia Sonmez, Washington Post, 15 January 2013, \u201cCiting Rubio\u2019s Ideas On Immigration Reform, White House Sees Hope For Bipartisan Deal\u201d<\/li>\n

    \n<\/p>

  • Julia Preston, New York Times, 14 January 2013, \u201cRubio Pushes His Party On Immigration Changes\u201d<\/li>\n

    \n<\/p>

  • Sharon H. Ringe, Luke (Westminster John Knox Press, 1995), pages 65-71.<\/li>\n

    \n<\/p>

  • Frank Sharry, Huffington Post, 15 January 2013, \u201cImmigration Reform in 2013: An Idea Whose Time Has Come\u201d<\/li>\n

    \n<\/p>

  • Justin Sink, The Hill, 25 January 2013, \u201cObama to Unveil Immigration Plan\u201d<\/li>\n

    \n<\/p>

  • Rachel Zoll, Huffington Post, 14 January 2013, \u201c\u2018I Was A Stranger\u2019 Campaign: Evangelical Leaders Seek Immigration Overhaul\u201d<\/li>\n
    \n

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    By Matthew L. Skinner Charity doesn\u2019t leave us unchanged, which is just one reason why it\u2019s hard to make ourselves do it. To be more specific: when we extend generosity and justice to others, it alters our relationship to them. Especially when those \u201cothers\u201d are foreign to us. Hospitality has ways of making the people […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":625,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[501,502,205,206,735,213],"class_list":["post-1838","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-on-scripture","tag-faith-and-immigration","tag-immigration-reform","tag-mathew-skinner","tag-odyssey-networks","tag-on-scripture","tag-on-scripture-the-bible"],"yoast_head":"\nImmigration Reform and the Challenges of Generosity (Luke 4:22-30)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"By Matthew L. 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