Jesus’ Unpopular Message in Nazareth
Dear friends,
Earlier this month, I was in Washington, D.C., sitting with a Member of Congress and a few others discussing immigration policy, when we were all momentarily distracted by the cable news report: there was a new pope – and he was American! In the hours that followed, I’d learn that Pope Leo XIV isn’t just American, but a Chicagoan. After initial, erroneous reports that he was a Cubs fan, it turns out he grew up on the South Side and is a White Sox fan. Portillo’s, a Chicago-based fast-food restaurant, has already named a sandwich after him.
I’m not Roman Catholic, of course, and as an evangelical, I have significant differences with Catholic theology, but as a resident of the Chicagoland region, I’ve still found myself caught up in the excitement. I’ve also wondered how long the enthusiasm will last, especially if the new pope conveys a message to his homeland that we don’t necessarily want to hear.
Jesus had a similar experience in his hometown of Nazareth. “Everyone praised him” (Luke 4:15). After reading the powerful words of the prophet Isaiah, declaring Himself to be the embodiment of the prophetic words of one who would “proclaim good news to the poor… freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind… the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19), the hometown crowd stood in awe. “All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips” (Luke 4:22).
But rather than basking in this goodwill, Jesus kept talking – and the crowd dramatically turned on Him, to the point they were ready to throw Him off of a cliff. What did He say that upset them so much? He challenged the people whom He knew best with a biblical truth He knew they didn’t want to hear: that God’s love was expansive, not just for them, but for other people groups as well. He reminded them that, even in the Old Testament, God sent Elijah to a foreign, pagan widow in need. He empowered the prophet Elisha to heal the Naaman the Syrian of leprosy – and not any of the lepers closer to home. Jesus repeatedly challenges His followers to emulate Him by showing love to the people least like ourselves, whom we’re least inclined to view as our neighbors (Luke 14:12-14, Luke 10:31-46).
That’s a timely message for the American church – Catholic, evangelical and otherwise – at this moment, when our country has suspended refugee resettlement, dramatically restricted access to asylum and is withdrawing temporary legal protections from individuals from various countries, such that people who were here lawfully are suddenly unlawfully present and vulnerable to deportation to situations facing humanitarian crises such as Afghanistan, Haiti and Venezuela. Those dynamics are also increasingly impacting the church, particularly as pastors and their families are among those with temporary status who are facing threats of deportation, and with the potential for much larger levels of detention and deportation in the months and years to come as Congress considers dramatic increases in funding for those goals.
Even as we advocate, now is also a vital time to pray. I’d invite you to pray with me for:
- Church leaders across Christian traditions, that they would boldly and wisely proclaim biblical truth, even at moments when it may not be a popular message
- Pastors and church members facing the possibility of deportation, that God would provide for them and protect them
- Governmental leaders, that they would heed the calls of church leaders to ensure that our laws and budgets reflect God’s justice and compassion
In Christ,
Matthew Soerens
National Coordinator, Evangelical Immigration Table
P.S. If you’re concerned about the scale of deportations and want to urge your Member of Congress, here’s an easy advocacy tool to help you make a call to your congressional offices.
