Who Would Jesus Deport?
- Scott Bullerwell
- 6 days ago
- 16 min read
Back in 2022, Lifeway Research out of Tennessee, conducted a poll that showed that a mere 20% of evangelicals say that their views on the arrival of immigrants are largely informed by the Bible. Perhaps we should be alarmed at this, but a poll taken by Arizona Christian University’s Cultural Research Centre (CRC) discovered that among those who identified as Evangelicals, only one-third had a biblical world view of anything. 1 Seeing our world through a Christian lens seems an after-thought, at best. Instead, the majority embrace a dominant worldview we call Syncretism – which I find to be a telling marker of the state of the church.
In the end, veteran researcher George Barna writes, “When you put the data in perspective, the biblical worldview is shuffling toward the edge of the cliff.” While the evidence suggests that churches are not emphasizing biblical worldview development, is seems certain that any success will not happen by default. Did you know that among adults under 30, just 1% have a Christian worldview and just 3% among folks in their 30s and 40s? Perhaps it is time to put out an ‘all-points-bulletin,’ over CBN, Daystar (although these days they have their own problems) and our own denominational Pentecostal Testimony -- calling all overseas missionaries to return home to rescue the local church ... for Barna is not wrong when he offers, “Simply teaching Bible stories from the pulpit is, in itself, inadequate to form a biblical worldview.”
“A worldview is the intellectual, emotional,
and spiritual filter an individual uses to
experience, interpret, and respond to reality ....
It is the basis of every decision an individual makes.”
Cultural Research Centre. American Worldview Inventory. Feb. 28, 2023.
Now, to the sensitive topic of immigration. In what way do the Scriptures inform or shape our view on immigration? In the face of mass migrations and the challenging economics of Canada welcoming overwhelming numbers of new arrivals ... did Trudeau’s decision to radically boost immigration, jumpstart the economy, decrease inflation, strengthen the country’s social safety-net, advance easier access to doctors and medical procedures, increase social services, reduce housing costs or the rental crisis we are in? Most ‘every-day’ Canadians know the answer. So, no one should be surprised that some 58% of Canadians, up from 27% in 2022, wish to see immigration numbers reduced (Environics Institute for Survey Research).
The data shows Evangelicals are more likely to be shaped
by the culture that surrounds them then they are to
influence or evangelize it.
Following Jesus means that we submit to His Word and though the fear among some believers might be that to do so could twist their politics, in the end, we should be less concerned for our political leanings and more in sync with how we might grow in applying a worldview lens to the everyday challenges faced – including immigration
God the Immigrant
No one should be surprised. As John 1:14 reminds us, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” Later, the Apostle Paul would declare “when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman ...” So, God in the flesh, comes to earth’s shores from another ‘country’ ... a “better country’ in fact (Hebrews 11:16), and incarnates himself for the purposes of becoming the Savior of mankind (Hebrews 9:22). The beauty of incarnation is that is affirms his humanity. Yup – God becomes one of us!
Since an immigrant is a person who makes a conscious
decision to leave home and move to a foreign land
with the intention of settling there, Jesus qualifies.
I cannot imagine a greater cultural divide than between heaven and earth. Can you? Talk about a downgrade for Jesus. One is eternal, pure, the living realm of flawless yet finite obedient angels; the other a planet broken by sin, death and populated by the unrighteous. Not long after arriving here, both he and his parents fled to Egypt, possibly Alexandria, as refugees to escape the evil clutches of Herod, the Roman-appointed king of Judea (Matthew 2:13-23), before returning and settling in Nazareth (2:21-23).
By ancestry, Joseph and Mary were from the tribe of Judah (Matthew 1; Luke 3), yet as Judeans, they were living in the north, in Nazareth of Galilee. Later Jesus would choose to base his ministry in Galilee as well ... which is not only a distance from Jerusalem, through Samaria territory, but a bit of a head scratcher for me. Was it to avoid the political tensions in Judea, especially from the Pharisees? Who knows! As early as Isaiah 9:1, the region had a reputation for being ethnically mixed – “Galilee of the Gentiles” and in 1 Kings 9:10-13, we know Solomon gave the King of Tyre 20 cities in the land of Galilee. So while Samaria retained its Israelite character, Galilee seems to have slowly assimilated, giving it a mixed population ethnically and religiously. Nathanael’s sarcastic and skeptical question in John 1:46, “Can anything good come from Nazareth,” suggests a lurking bias and ethnic prejudice by southern Jews who distinguished themselves from their northern cousins. Jesus is an outsider. The good news is that Nathanael’s question will be answered by his own conversion (1:49) to this ‘outsider.’
Remember the name calling? Talking about Jesus in John’s gospel account (8:48-52), Jewish leaders accused him of being both a Samaritan and demon-possessed. He was neither of course. Still, being from Galilee, he was in a good position to understand ethnic prejudice. Human that he was, I imagine that in his humanity this derision ‘cut’ him. Later, when Peter denies Jesus three times, bystanders accuse him of being a Galilean ... “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away” (Matthew 26:73).
When it comes to justice and fairness, the language of Proverbs 20:23 is helpful. God loves equal weights and measures. Anything less displeases him. Surely this can be applied to immigration policy.
God has a ‘Soft Spot’ for Immigrants
Ok, well maybe it is not a ‘soft spot,’ but I think you know what I am getting at. And though the Bible says little on immigration, it says a whole lot about immigrants themselves. Besides Moses and Joseph, there are the usual examples:
Abram, Sarai and Lot. They were immigrants. Hearing the voice of God, Abram left, along with his dim-witted nephew Lot, from Ur of the Chaldeans and moved to Haran. Next, he took the perilous journey to Canaan as an immigrant. He and his family then moved on to live in Egypt during a famine. Genesis 12:10 ...
“When a famine struck the land, Abram went down toward Egypt to live as an immigrant since the famine was so severe in the land.”
They were certainly familiar with what contemporary immigrants go through, bouncing across multiple borders in pursuit of a dream, while maintaining their unique identity within the host culture. Later, we read:
“Pharaoh gave his men orders concerning Abram, and they expelled him with his wife and everything he had” (Genesis 12:20; CEB).
Yup, sounds like immigration to me, even if he was an unauthorized immigrant. Was he breaking any laws crossing the borders? You decide!
Ruth was a Moabite woman – one whose origins began in what appears to be the first report of a father-daughter incest (Genesis 19). Talk about scandalous! It was this same Moabite tribe that would resist Israel’s wish to pass through their territory (Numbers 22), seduce the men of Israel to indulge in sexual immorality (Numbers 25), and later still, oppress the Jews (Judges 3). Animosity and deep suspicion between these two countries was real.
Following the death of her husband and driven by loyalty and commitment, she hooked up with her mother-in-law Naomi who was returning to her hometown of Bethlehem. Starting out as an outsider, an immigrant - she would not only embrace a new life, becoming a lawful permanent resident, but later preserve the royal line of Israel and be included in the lineage of King David (his great grandmother) in her new country.
Religious denominations that are ‘progressive’
(aka liberal) are fond of telling conservative
Christians that Leviticus is antiquated and
obsolete in its views on homosexuality,
yet want it to be authoritative in how we are to
treat ‘strangers/immigrants.’ Someone is confused!
Next, there are the “Nameless Immigrants” – those who are spoken of in general terms in scripture. Leviticus19 helps identify these folks and how they are to be treated.
“‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God” (vv. 33-34).
Deuteronomy 10:18-19 repeats Leviticus, and later still, Romans 13:9 gives us the familiar “Love your neighbors as yourself” phrase that we heard from Jesus in Mark 12:30-31 ... who no doubt had Leviticus 19 in mind.
Notice the emphasis: (1) they are to be treated as native-born citizens, with fairness, (2) enjoy equality under the Law, and (3) be extended the same kindness as they would offer to their own people. Why? For Israel has experienced a shared history of her own earlier vulnerability (v. 34). None of these things are negotiable, by-the-way, for the verses are framed as a direct command. The lesson here is surely that godly followers of Christ today can do no less!
So there we have it: there can be no room for ethnic hatred or prejudice in Levitical law. Indeed, Leviticus 24:22 said, “You are to have the same law for the foreigner and the native-born among you.” While the Jews were also prohibited from allowing the cultural standards of these ‘strangers,’ along with their false gods, from influencing their religion, laws, or culture ... interestingly, immigrants had a responsibility to the nation itself, as verse 16 reminds us: “Anyone who blasphemes the name of the Lord is to be put to death .... whether foreigner or native-born” (v. 16). There appears to have been an expectation therefore that immigrants were welcomed, so long as they accepted God and his laws.
While I am not advocating immigrants ‘should or must,’ conform, many would argue that Leviticus 24:16 is a law specific to that historical context and not applicable universally today. Good enough. But then the challenge for every exegete rightfully becomes – “On the subject of immigrants, which texts do I apply and which do I ignore?” Can I use a lifeline here and ‘Phone a friend’ – preferably Solomon himself?
My observation is that the official orthodoxy of multiculturalism here in Canada does not allow a person to criticize or question it - no matter how glaring the contradiction. There are ‘land mines’ everywhere.
Who is ‘Us’?
That is a very good question! “Who is us?”
In the United States, “Us” is the ‘Melting Pot’ metaphor and the model of choice. Here, diverse cultures and ethnicities are expected to mix and merge into a single, unified whole. So, whether you arrived on the Mayflower, showed up before the American Revolution, or just arrived from dusty Afghanistan – all become foremost - ‘American.’
“Us” in Canada is ‘Multiculturalism’ and it is to Canada like Tim Hortons, Toonies and Poutine is to Canada. In this alternative model, multiple cultures retain their own distinct identity – none ignored; none unimportant. This coexistence (not mixing) of diverse cultures is a sociological reality here and intended to preserve diversity and inclusivity. Cultural, ethnic, ‘enclaves’ populate our cities.
‘Multiculturalism,’ a state-led, tax-payer funded, redefinition of national identity, first introduced in 1971, has met with conflicted political success – as perhaps most recently exhibited in Quebec nationalism (i.e. Bill 21, 2019). 2 To illustrate, multiculturalism is for many Quebecois, a code word for ‘English, and her fears of becoming simply ‘another’ culture among a sea of cultures ... in an ocean of some 380 million North American ‘English’ speakers is not unimportant. 3
So, when it comes to immigrants, while a conceptualization of ‘Us’ is important, it may not be easy to define “Us.” Statistically, in 2024, Canadians, exceptionally gracious, took in a total of 464,265 identified immigrants
Our postmodern ethos has corrupted Christ’s ‘neighbor-love’ by making people’s hurt feelings ‘proof’ that we have failed. Actually, we love our neighbors on Christ’s terms, not ours, and his command has in view one’s eternal destiny, not a temporal one.
But, but but ... What About Refugees and the Undocumented?
A refugee is by definition “someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence,” says the UNHCR. According to this same UN Refugee Agency, there were 43.4 million as of May, 2024. In Canada, there were 190,039 refugee claims referred in 2024, with 272,440 claims still pending as of December 31, 2024 – an increase of 35.14% from 2022. Clearly, Canadians have been exceedingly generous in inviting others to be their neighbors.
The undocumented? Well, folks who cross a nation’s sovereign borders illegally and not through established government ports of entry (whether by land, air, or sea) are NOT undocumented – they are illegals. In fact, a good many of them come carrying a wide variety of documents (e.g. driver’s license, social security, passports, visas, permits) – and to avoid detection, dump them before making illegal entry. Massage the word all you want if it makes you feel better – but they are illegals none-the-less ... and in the absence of an acceptable reason for them being here, we can expect the government to respond with deportation orders. A biblical world view includes the Romans 13 call to respect the rule of law ... including promoting secure and functional borders, for nowhere in Scripture do I read that compassion means ‘You get what YOU want.’
Law and compassion are not inherently opposing forces when it comes to immigration, for though they exist
in a complex relationship, they can be mutually
beneficial forces for good in a nation.
Interestingly, the Bible speaks only of immigrants. It is silent on the modern reality of legal or illegal, refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons or internally displaced. There are no biblically specific policy points, that we can appeal to for help. What I can say with a degree of confidence is that in a biblical world view ethic, there remains a single set of scriptural guidelines about fairness, justice and equality that apply to everyone ... and countries, including Canada, should be guided by these principles.
A word of caution here however. Seeking ‘fairness, justice and equality’ does not mean everyone who comes – gets to stay! Sure, the call to love our neighbour (Mark 12:30-31) means extending compassion, kindness, justice and seeing in each person the value and inherent dignity that comes with being created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Still, reflecting God’s image does not mean if someone can manage to get into this country by whatever means ... under whatever pretenses ... and irrespective of personal history and behavior – they get to stay! Nor does such a policy point appear in the Bible.
So, from this foundation, we can now build – but we must be cautious and realistic at the same time, considering the potential consequences and its impact. Jesus rightfully reminds us in Luke 14:28-30 ...
“If one of you wanted to build a tower, wouldn’t you first sit down and calculate the cost,
to determine whether you have enough money to complete it”? Otherwise, when you have laid the foundation but couldn’t finish the tower, all who see it will begin to belittle you. They will say, ‘Here’s the person who began construction and couldn’t complete it!’ CEB Translation
In context, Jesus asks potential disciples to carefully measure the cost of following him. “Sit down and see if you can afford to,” he says. Makes sense! Next, to make his point, Jesus pulls an illustration from everyday life – like building a tower (and later going to battle). These can become more costly than you think – so pay attention.
In other words, whether building a disciple or a tower – when setting out, there should be a goal (build a tower) ... careful planning first (sit down and muse) ... a review of the resources needed (‘calculate the cost’ – money is not limitless, even if it does come out of an ATM machine or come from hard-working taxpayers) ... and consider the chances of success (‘to complete it’).
The 1995 Canadian long-gun registry, cost almost $2 billion, not the estimated $2 million. One Ottawa politician crowed, “If it saves one life, it is worth it.” Talk about a noodle-scratcher! Regrettably, the same political party is running immigration today.
Jesus’ advice here makes sense whether purchasing a home, adopting a baby, going to war, choosing to be a Christ discipleship ... or implementing Canada’s immigration policy. After all, wasted effort, drowning debt and ridicule from the citizens (vv. 29-30) will bring reproach – as it should. So, if we substitute “Tower” for ‘Immigration policy’ – the lesson remains the same: only a thoughtless moron would set out without the chance for success. Still, it happens, even in government!
Migration (including refugees, illegals, get-aways, asylum seekers, stateless) is a hot ... hot ... hot button issue across the world, including among Christians. Personally, I feel the tension between being compassionate ... while acknowledging that it seems ‘reasonable’ that no country can take in limit-less numbers and expect to absorb and provide for them.
What about known criminals and gangbanger who enter illegally or commit further crimes against citizens? Should sovereign laws be ignored and national constitutions bypassed ... replaced by international edicts dictating policy. Should cultural cohesion be sacrificed in the name of global citizenship? Should national identities be dissolved? Can mass migration be a tool for destabilization of a nation? Does any of this matter?
To prevent global tyranny, God ‘comes down’ at
Babel and divides the nations, says Moses,
“giving the nations their inheritance” (Deut. 32:8). Attempts therefore to make borders obsolete or erode national sovereignty is a counterfeit unity and sounds like the Babel problem revisited.
For sure, activists will do the expected “Xenophobe” name calling – painting all who disagree, as anti-migration! I ignore them! Radicals will squawk about abolishing borders, but they appear to be the same group wanting to abolish prisons ... and police, so I ignore them too.
In my view:
Every person should have the right to move freely and choose their own place of residence within a territory of a country. Jesus did ... travelling to places like Sepphoris, Caesarea Philippi, Cana, Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Tabgha, and Bethany.
Emigrating from a country should be a human right (N. Korea does not permit this). The problem appears when the application overreaches the borders to take part in the international scope ... and denies a country the right to protect its own sovereign borders.
While the sovereignty of God is clearly the context of Paul’s apologetic speech in Acts 17:26 to the Athenians, it is just as clear that nations and their distinct boundaries exist – as determined by God: “From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands” (Acts 17:26, NIV). No, the passage is not about immigration ... criticizing immigration ... or for/against immigration. It is however a clear acknowledgment that nations and their borders do exist. Borders are not a mirage, no matter how loud or apoplectic radicals become.
The believing church in general and Christians in particular should remain active in recouping the humanity of the non-citizen, made in the image of God. Churches with ministry to refugees or other immigrants and the sponsoring of an immigrant family are valuable options. How about a biblically-focused message on immigration from pastoral leadership? Let us do good, while engaging our leaders, for as Dr. King, Jr. reminds us, the Church is the “conscious of the state.”
The story of the Good Samaritan, the Great Commission, the Golden Rule, the Great Commandment and
Matthew 25 touches on how Christians should act and care — not governments! We seem to forget this
when it comes to immigration policy.
Governments should be generous in their immigration policies ... policies that not only receive people, but support and nurture their integration and ability to succeed. Legislation should respect the rule of law, ensure fairness to taxpayers, protect the unity of the immediate family, ensure secure borders, and establish a path that leads to citizenship.
Countries should make procedures governing immigration, asylum, and illegals, quicker and more efficient. Waiting years to determine acceptability is unconscionable. And, yes, deportation is a ‘reasonable’ tool.
Government should not exceed realistic., sensible, practical immigration capacities. Jesus’ words, “first sit down and calculate the cost, to determine whether you have enough money to complete it,” are fundamentally sound in so many ways.
Churches advocating for illegal immigration
when legal pathways close, should not be
confused with Churches making up for the failures
of the government in assisting people who have
just arrived on their doorstep. Scapegoating good Samaritan churches should not be a sport!
The immigration portfolio in Canada has been terribly managed. With a population growth now surpassing 41 million (2024), even immigrants to this country are unhappy. As recently reported by the CBC, “the past three years there has been a lot of mistakes by the federal government with regard to how many people they were letting in,” says one immigrant. Another perceptively offers: "Right now there's no balance there. They don't know what they are doing." 4
“Would Jesus deport?” Well, when asked about another dilemma, you will recall that Jesus took a coin and said, “‘Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?’ ‘Caesar’s,’ they replied. Then he said to them, ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s’” (Matthew 22:20-21). Later the believers in Rome would ask the same question. Perhaps they were hoping for a different answer! Paul instructions were, “This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing” (Romans 13:6). So, the short answer is ‘It’s not Jesus’ job.’
Who would Jesus deport? I assume the question to be rhetorical, intended to spark reflection on the ethical implications of deportation. I get it! Frankly, the question is like many others that invoke Jesus’ name, like “Who would Jesus send to prison?’ ... or “Which books would Jesus ban?” ... or “Would Jesus have closed his church during Covid?” ... or “Would Jesus save the planet and buy a Tesla? ... or “Would Jesus support injection sites so addicts can shoot up safely?”
The responsibility of who does or does not gain entrance into Canada and earn a pathway to citizenship, is given to government ... which Jesus instituted ... sanctioned ... and empowered! Yes, Jesus had respect for the rule of law. Go figure! Whatever our Canadian government should conclude on immigration, their ‘power to decide’ on who stays and who goes (yes, it is an option) ... should be compassionate ... just ... balanced ... and achievable – all biblical ideas. Oh, and it should have the well-being of its own citizens in view too, including the legions visiting our overburdened food banks, if that is not asking too much. “Only Saying ...”
1. Plenty of information (2020-2025) and data available at the Cultural Research Centre website: https://www.arizonachristian.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/CRC-Release-AWVI-4-Aug-6-2024-Fourth-Draft.pdf
2. While the official policy of multiculturalism was adopted by the government in 1971, the Canadian Multiculturalism Act, passed in 1988, was a federal law affirming the government's commitment to promoting multiculturalism in Canada -- becoming the first country to pass a national multiculturalism law.
3. In my home province of birth, Quebec, there is a real trend toward the transformation of religious symbols and practices into culture. Read The Transition of Religion to Culture in Law and Public Discourse by Canadian academic Lori G. Beaman. 2020; Canada Research Chair in Religious Diversity and Social Change, Department of Classics and Religious Studies, University of Ottawa. I found the book insightful.
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