Jesus Was a Refugee

Jesus Was a Refugee

 After they were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up and flee to Egypt with the baby and his mother,” the angel said, “and stay there until I tell you to return, for King Herod is going to try to kill the child.”  That same night he left for Egypt with Mary and the baby and stayed there until King Herod’s death. This fulfilled the prophet’s prediction…                                                                                                                                      Matthew 2: 13-15

We all know the story about how Herod, upon hearing of the birth of a new king, Jesus, became paranoid and enraged. Having been apprised of the birth of Jesus by the wise men from the East, Herod declared a death penalty upon all boys under the age of two years old.

Joseph, alerted to the dangers to his family, quickly undertook the life of a refugee for his family. He took them on an arduous journey to Egypt. The earliest experience of Jesus was that of a refugee. We know that this was not a coincidence, but a fulfillment of prophecy. Moreover, it was a lesson that Jesus, from early on, could relate to the suffering of the people he came to save.

Egypt was a symbol of a place of refuge. Yes, it had previously been the place of bondage for the Hebrew people. However, both in Genesis chapters 12 and 46, Egypt became a place of refuge. Once again, in Matthew chapter 2, it became the place of refuge for Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

How do we look at refugees today?  There are many serious refugee crises around the world today- Haiti, Syria, Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Venezuela, to name just a few. If Jesus were a refugee today, would he find safety in the United States? No, this is not a political polemic. It is a question of morality.

How do we respond to a human crisis? I trust that we adhere to our Christian ethics, not political expedients.

Prayer: Lord, give us wisdom as to how to respond to human need, Amen