Over the past year or so, I’ve heard and continue to hear many Christian pastors use the label “Jesus is a refugee” as leverage for their advocacy of refugee asylum for illegal migrants on the southern border of the USA.

My sense is that these pastors are using this label to attempt to gain the moral high ground over those who disagree with them on how immigration laws and border control policies are carried out in our sovereign country. It seems they consider those who don’t agree with them 100% on all points of this issue, to be on the wrong side of God’s morality.

So, just to make my position clear, I am a common-ground centrist with conservative roots who is not in 100% agreement with these pastors on this issue. And, I do NOT consider myself to be on the wrong side of God’s justice/morality.

Jesus, a refugee – Yes or No?

Historical Evidence [primary source, Wikipedia]

The 500-year-old Roman Republic which preceded the Roman Empire was severely destabilized in a series of civil wars and political conflict, during which Julius Caesar was appointed as perpetual dictator and then assassinated in 44 BCE. Civil wars and executions continued, culminating in (1) the victory of Octavian, Caesar’s adopted son, over Mark Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium in 31 BCE, and (2) the annexation of Egypt [as a province].

Octavian’s power was then unassailable and in 27 BCE the Roman Senate formally granted him overarching power [of the Roman Empire] and the new title Augustus, effectively marking the end of the Roman Republic. The imperial period of Rome [Roman Empire] then lasted approximately 1,500 years compared to the 500 years of the preceding Roman Republic era.

Biblical Evidence

Jesus was born between 6 and 4 BCE in Judea (Israel), a province of the Roman Empire. The birth date is not pinpointed precisely along that two-year continuum, since no exact date is given in the Bible or history references. The birth date could have been early, middle, or late in that two-year period.

However, from the Bible, we know that Herod the Great was the client King of Judea (Israel), a province of the Roman Empire, at the time of Jesus’ birth. We also know that Herod got a visit from Wise Men from the far east as they searched for the child Jesus, the prophesied King of the Jews, pointed to by a bright guiding star. We know also because of (1) the Wise Men’s travel time from the far east being as much as a couple of years, and (2) the threat to Herod’s reign over Judea (Israel) by Jesus, the promised King of the Jews; Herod ordered that all male children under the age of two be killed. We know an angel warned Mary and Joseph to flee Israel, and they fled to Egypt to protect Jesus from death at the hand of King Herod’s executioners.

We know that Herod died in 4 BCE. We know that Joseph, Mary, and Jesus returned immediately to Galilee/Nazareth upon the death of Herod.

So, we are left to speculate on how old Jesus was when the family moved to Egypt, two years or two weeks? Also, how long the family actually stayed in Egypt, two years or a few weeks.

By the evidence presented, the answer is “Jesus was not a refugee”

The dictionary definition of refugee is: “a person who has been forced to leave his/her country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.”  This label brings along with it some hefty legal rights on the international stage from the 1951 Geneva Convention.  It should not be used without serious thought about the accuracy of the claim and the ramifications of its implications and associations.

Although Jesus and his family were threatened with persecution by King Herod, effectively “forcing them to leave” the Roman province of Israel and travel to the Roman province of Egypt, the full definition of refugee does not fit. Why? They did not actually leave their country, the Roman Empire. They traveled freely and legally without a requirement of documentation between two provinces of the same country. This is akin to traveling from Oklahoma to Texas in the United States. No passport is required and no refugee status with asylum need be requested.

I’m sure there are readers who will want to challenge my evidence and conclusion.  So please point me to your evidence through a comment on this post.  I’ll research this new evidence and update the post if warranted.

Loving Way Forward

Jesus Christ did not come to divide people by being an activist on one side or the other of any government issue. He also did not need to take on an unsubstantiated label such as refugee to make his case about being the way, the truth, and the life. Since Jesus obviously never brought up being or not being a refugee in his travels with his family in Egypt, I’m going to make an educated guess that he didn’t consider it an essential  element of his ministry on earth – Love God, and love your neighbor as yourself.

He did not, nor does he today, shame people, rather he spoke to their hearts about what is right, what is merciful, and the importance of walking humbly with God, i.e., not contending for supremacy with God (being prideful). Just as we experience today, once people, past and present, truly understand in their hearts and souls what Jesus is talking about, they shame themselves and ask for forgiveness.

Christ clearly loves all people and forgives them, and he commands his followers, Christian lay and clergy, to “…go and do likewise.” [Matthew 6:14-15, Luke 10:37, John 8:7]

Even if we strongly disagree on points of the US Code of Law on immigration and its enforcement, we must all respect each other’s opinions. Then, we must care for each other and work together to determine common ground to assure laws or policies are just. We do this by proposing new/modified laws and policies through our Congressional representatives; also, by voting for our President and Congress in accordance with our Christian and humanitarian values. [Matthew 22:37-40, Matthew 25:31-40]

Whether we agree or disagree among ourselves, Jesus’ love for each of us does not vary. So please, Christian pastors, don’t create untested wedges such as “Jesus is a refugee” to divide the people of the USA into tribes any more than we already are.

Rather, as you use words from God to change people’s hearts, please encourage people to “…speak the truth in love…do so with gentleness and respect…speak evil of no one…be peaceable and considerate…always be gentle toward everyone.” [Contraction-paraphrase of Ephesians 4:15, 1 Peter 3:15, Titus 3:2]