With all this recent talk of refugees, it got me thinking about Jesus, who (within days of being born) was a refugee. It's not something that's normally mentioned as part of the Nativity story with the shepherds and wise men, but the gospel of Matthew (chapter 2) tells us the events after Jesus's birth:An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up and 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 try to kill the child." That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, and they stayed there until Herod's death.
Under threat from the rulers of the land, Jesus shared something in common with the asylum seekers of today. Years later, he made the following statement about helping those in need (quoted from Matthew 25).
Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.'
Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?'
And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'
