Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Independence and Responsibility

Bible Reading: Exodus 23: 1 – 9

‘Love the foreigner amongst you as yourself...I am the Lord your God”
Leviticus 19:34


Key verse: Vs  “So, in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.”

DEVOTION

In Exodus 23:9, God commanded, “You must not oppress a foreigner; you know the heart of a foreigner, because you yourselves were foreigners...” 

We were once strangers in this country. But we quickly adapted, worked hard and soon realized the American Dream. God has been most gracious to us.  It is important to note that when we first reached these shores, we were treated humanely by the people who were already living here. Our families did not get split. Our children did not get separated from us.  We were not put in concentration camps. Our migrant experience has been most humane.   Unfortunately, this is not true for all migrants to this land. 
Most migrants leave their countries due to war, poverty, religious persecution, and/or political oppression. And when many of these migrants reach new shores, they are usually not welcome. Currently, we are fully aware of many migrants being treated very badly by government authorities.   Many families are forcibly split.  Parents put in concentration camps. Children are separated from their parents.  Pure evil happening right in front of our eyes.
There is something very touching about the commandment in Exodus 23:9. God states this law in a way that melts our hearts. It says: “You know the heart of a foreigner; you know what it is to be a foreigner in a new land.” You know what it is like to leave your country, your roots, your possessions, and be a stranger in a new land. You have first-hand experience with all this. That is why you should not oppress a foreigner. 
By issuing this law, God is calling us for empathy, not prejudice; compassion not condemnation; intervention not indifference.  But because of our selfish and sinful nature, we are indifferent to the plight of suffering migrants. 
In Matthew 7:12, Jesus says, “So, in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” This rule, also known as the Golden Rule, basically says: Treat others the way you want to be treated. In any situation, if you want to be treated in a certain way, that is exactly how you should treat others. So, if we, as migrants to this new land, want to be treated in a certain way, or have been treated in a certain way, then we should not desire it any less for other migrants. The Golden Rule makes an important point: how we treat other people is a big and important part of our Christian faith!
Coming back to the current migrant situation, it is convenient for us to say, “We played by the rules and migrated legally. Others should do the same” Of course we played by the rules. It was very easy for us to play by the rules. This is because God blessed us with a good education and with the right paperwork. Following the rules was not difficult for us. Not everyone is so fortunate.  
If we focus only on the laws and the rules, then we would be no different than the Pharisees. The Pharisees focused too much on the rules.  Jesus revealed to the Pharisees the hypocrisy of their actions. Of course, abiding by the laws is important. But we should not use the laws as an excuse to become indifferent and cold-hearted to people in need. We should not use the laws as a cover to avoid our Christian responsibilities. We cannot become slaves to the laws. We have the full freedom and independence to perform our Christian responsibilities.

Right now, many migrants are going through a crisis. They are being terrorized. They are experiencing great evil. We must pray and seek all good things for these migrants. That is what the Golden Rule teaches us.  
 

PRAYER

O Lord God, free the migrants and the undocumented from the terror they are facing.

 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Matthew 25: 40
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Koruthu Mathew

Long Island Mar Thoma Church,New York

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