Paul Derengowski, PhD
In a Letter to the Editor published in the Gainesville Times this morning, writer Ryan Mahon asked a series of emotionally charged questions that are indicative of the attitude of so many grappling with the question of illegal immigration.
His spin, though, was to specifically include Jesus in his query, whereby through special pleading, he hoped to manipulate his readership into believing that Jesus would be on the side of lawlessness and subversion.
Jesus actually “pow-wowed” with criminals, don’t you know, even though Mahon does not provide a biblical reference where such a pow-wow took place.
All is merely assumed, as he constructs and weaves a false narrative that concludes that anyone who could possible disagree with Mahon must be in league with Nazi Germany, white-black segregation at restaurants, and God forbid, Mary and Joseph being hunted down by Herod.
To top it all off, Mahon asks a series of specious questions that in his mind solidifies his view that Jesus was a criminal, guilty of sedition, since he would never have allowed all those illegal aliens on the southern border of the United States to be confined in the manner that they are.
Do you think Jesus would go down to the border, erect a wall and mutilate the human dignity of all those who desire to live here? Do you think Jesus would begin making distinctions between “legal” and “illegal” people? Do you think Jesus would spout out the kinds of hatred that is routinely thrown around in your bizarre paranoid universe of fear? Do you really think he would paint immigrants as criminals in order to violate their rights? Do you think he would board buses with handguns demanding to see papers? Do you really think that Jesus would condone the disgusting abuses that are taking place in this country yesterday, today, tomorrow and the next day? Do you really think so? Then you haven’t the slightest idea what Jesus had to say. God help you.
Rather than get caught up in all the drivel, let’s look at three instances where Jesus dealt with government officials and draw inferences from them to answer all of Mr. Mahon’s questions.
First, as pointed out elsewhere, when Jesus was presented with the question of the lawfulness of paying poll taxes, Jesus said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s” (Mk. 12:17; Mt. 22:21; Lk. 20:25 cf. Rom. 13:7).
Second, when some of the Jews attempted to compel Jesus to act as king in the hope of overthrowing the Roman government, the Gospel of John tells us, Jesus “withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone” (Jn. 6:15).
Later, when questioned by Pontius Pilate whether Jesus was the “King of the Jews,” Jesus responded with, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm” (Jn. 18:36).
Finally, during Jesus’ crucifixion, where he had the perfect opportunity to exercise his power and authority over the Roman officials who were putting him to death, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Lk. 23:34).
The point of these three examples is simply this: Jesus was not a lawlessness subversive. He obeyed the Roman law, even the point of allowing the Roman officials to execute him.
Therefore, to answer Mr. Mahon’s question, “What would Jesus do?” in reference to all the illegal aliens confined to camps along the southern border of the U.S., Jesus may have walked among them, healing the lame and the sick, but he would not have waved his hand and declared the criminal a non-criminal, based on his own authority.
His kingdom was not of this world and he conceded civil matters to civil authorities.
The biblical record is indicative of what Jesus was like when it came to secular enforcement of the law and the Romans were adamant about border control.
So, despite all the loaded questions and frothing at the keyboard that so many, like Ryan Mahon, engage in, over the question of immigrating from one country to another, even to the point of invoking their idolatrous view of Jesus, the real, biblical Jesus would have upheld the laws of the land, particularly when they did nothing to undermine God’s will and law, as revealed in His written Word, and would have told all of the illegal aliens to go home and wait your turn.
Of course, the Ryan Mahon’s will read or hear such a response and will balk or have another conniption, but that is only because they don’t have “the slightest idea what Jesus had to say.”
And for that, those who do know what Jesus DID say can only respond with, “God help [them].”
