"I Called My Son Out Of Egypt"

This is Part 8 in a 9-Part Series on Immigration

"After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. 'Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and His mother,' the angel said. 'Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill Him.'

That night Joseph left for Egypt with the Child and Mary, His mother, and they stayed there until Herod's death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet:

'I called My Son out of Egypt.'" - Matthew 2:13-15

Jesus was an immigrant.

He and his parents fled to Egypt to escape an oppressive government. I suppose you could say they were "refugees".

They lived in Egypt from the time Jesus was roughly 2 years old until King Herod died, most likely until Jesus was 4 or 5.

And it wasn't a random "accident" or a minor detail to be overlooked; it was prophesized in the Old Testament. It was planned, intentional, deliberate. God wanted to ensure that people - especially Christians - knew that "Jesus" = "immigrant".

What's more, He and His family had to flee quickly - in the middle of the night. They would not have had time to check into immigration laws, evaluate what their most reasonable options were, or wait months - or even years - to complete all the paperwork and go through a legal process. They just fled - probably with nothing more than the clothing on their backs and what little they were able to take with them.

One of the most contentious debates surrounding immigration is the fact that the United States has laws preventing immigrants from coming here in the first place. It is the reason why those on the right, who tend to have more conservative attitudes regarding immigration, frequently insist on referring to those who just show up at the border as "illegal immigrants", while those on the left, who tend to have more liberal attitudes regarding immigration, frequently insist on referring to them as "undocumented immigrants".

But Jesus, Mary, and Joseph would have fallen into "that" category for sure, whatever you want to call it. If this were to happen today, and they were fleeing to the United States instead of Egypt, how would we be treating them - and what would we be calling them - when they showed up at our southern border? We are, arguably, one of the wealthiest countries in the world; I have a hard time believing that Jesus would be okay with mass deportations, turning people away at the border, or separating children from their parents.***

Furthermore, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph were from the Middle East. Contrary to how we typically portray them in our portraits, paintings, and nativity scenes, they were not "white"! They were people of color, most likely brown-skinned. Would we have travel bans in place preventing them from coming here simply because of the country they were trying to leave? Certainly, the United States (and other countries) have a right to protect themselves by protecting their borders, but how do we do that in a way that is still in keeping with God's commands to "welcome the foreigner"?

And let's say Jesus, Mary, and Joseph managed to get safely across the border. What kinds of attitudes would they encounter here during the 2-3 years they had to live away from home? As brown-skinned Middle Easterners who probably dressed differently than most Americans do, would they encounter racism here simply because they looked "conspicuous"?

They most likely wouldn't have come here already speaking the English language. They wouldn't necessarily have been familiar with American culture. They probably would have had very little money or possessions. Where would they stay? How would they provide for themselves?

And, what I really wonder the most: how would they be treated if they showed up at one of our churches on Sunday? And is the message that Christians are sending at church (whether verbal or nonverbal) consistent with the messages that Christians are sending through their politics (whether verbal or nonverbal)? And would the messages they would be receiving when they are present in the room reflect the messages that are being communicated amongst Christians when they are not around?

Assuming this were truly Jesus seeking refuge in our country, He wouldn't need to be physically present to know the heart and mind behind each person's attitudes, words, or behavior - whether in a public forum, such as a social media post, or even hidden behind the privacy and anonymity of a voting booth.

Towards the end of His ministry, Jesus is describing what it takes to really follow Him and be welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven - to really be a "legal citizen" there. And Jesus says:

"And then they will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help You?'

And He will answer, 'I tell you the Truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help Me.'" - Matthew 25:44-45

© I Lift My Voice, 2025

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*** When it comes to those convicted of crimes, Scripture indicates that there is an expectation that if you are immigrating to another country, you have a responsibility to follow all of the laws of the country which you are immigrating to, so I'm not sure why anyone - on either side of the political aisle - would have any problem with the United States deporting individuals who are guilty of committing crimes - particularly felonies like drug or human trafficking, murder, or rape. But according to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, that is less than 20,000 people per year (cbp.gov) of the roughly 10-12 million undocumented immigrants currently estimated to be in the United States.***

Click Here to Read Part 9 in This 9-Part Series on Immigration