2/27- Declaring God’s Glory in Helping the Alien- Deut. 10:19-22

2/27- Declaring God’s Glory in Helping the Alien- Deuteronomy 10:19-22

¹⁸ He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow,and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.¹⁹ And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. (Deuteronomy 10:19-22) 

Thoughts: There are migrant workers in almost every country- even Antarctica. Migrant workers usually cannot speak the language, do not have legal protection, and are usually missing government help that others are entitled to get. Migrant workers can be treated poorly without many (if any) sticking up for them.  Most migrant workers are vulnerable and helpless.  God reminds the people of Israel that they were that way in Egypt, so they are called to treat the aliens with kindness.  Migrant workers are vulnerable but they do not deserve God's help.  In some ways this illustrates all of us.  While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  The call is not to break the law but simply to provide basics like food and clothing.  If the migrant workers decide to stay (and most of them want to find a way to do that), then the hopes are not to hate them but to be a neighbor to them.  Migrant workers who are Christians have less incentives to get involved with bad crowds, and more incentive to do good and be good neighbors themselves. 

Our role is to be humble, kind, compassionate, and generous- not because they deserve it- (they may deserve punishment if they are illegal), but because we are called to love our neighbor as ourselves- even if they are strange to us or strangers to us.  In doing this we are missionaries without leaving home. 

Prayer: Give me eyes to see those around me who are different, left out, and vulnerable.  Help me to see them as if they were you, Lord.  Help me to treat them as if they were you.  

Church members feeding migrant workers after hours