Jesus Christ, the refugee child

To respond effectively to over 65 million forcibly displaced people all over the world is challenging. This group of displaced people is painfully represented by the broad refugee community from every religious community. it’s worth remembering, when Jesus Christ our Saviour and Lord came into the world He created, His childhood years were lived as a refugee.

When the wise men of the East came searching for Jesus the king, they visited King Herod’s palace. In his insecurity and pride Herod ordered, “the massacre of the innocents” boys under the age of two (Matt. 2.16–18). When human power and politics collide with God’s way, children often suffer the most. But Joseph was warned beforehand in a dream of Herod’s intentions to kill little Jesus, and the family fled to Egypt. It is not until Herod is dead that Joseph and Mary dare return, and then they avoid Judaea: Joseph “was afraid to go there” (Matt. 2.22) because Herod’s son was in charge. Instead they found a new place of refuge, in Nazareth of Galilee, far from Bethlehem. Jesus’ earliest years were then spent as a refugee in a foreign land, and then as a displaced person in a village a long way from his family’s original home.

The Bible teaches us that we should not mistreat foreigners who reside among us, rather provide them with food and clothing (Lev. 19: 9-10, 33-34), and not to deprive them of justice (Mal. 3:5). Jesus taught to engage in compassionate care of the poor. To look after them in fact is to look after Him. Jesus said, ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me’ (Matthew 25:25-36). Let’s use God given resources to take care of the displaced refugees and poor.