“You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord. You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:15-18)
These days in our land there is much talk about racial injustice and undocumented aliens and rightly so. Despite the changes to our laws, there is still a lot of hate and prejudice manifested toward people of different races and ethnicities. These days we must also include prejudice and hatred exhibited by the cultural elite and the media towards Christians. We Christians, however, ought not to show hate and disrespect towards anyone, not even those who show contempt for the laws of the land or for the Lord God Almighty with lifestyles marked by sins of immorality, violence, and pride.
The reason why Christians should not return evil is because the Lord God commands His people “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus cited these words when he defined neighbor as one’s fellow human being, no matter their race, ethnicity, language, nationality, or even religion. We are commanded to deal respectfully and honestly with all people. We are not to cheat them or slander anyone. We are to seek justice for all, showing partiality to neither the rich nor the poor. We are to judge all with righteousness and equity. In addition, we are to be charitable, hospitable, and gracious to all. We should treat even the sojourners, the foreigners in our midst, as our neighbors. We cannot deny them justice or mistreat them in any way. These commands are extremely commendable and should form the basis for a social and legal structure that is kind and loving. But as believers, we know that it is impossible to implement without relying on the wisdom of God, faith in Jesus, and the strength of the Holy Spirit.
In the case of ancient Israel, we must remember that sojourners in the land, those we would today call aliens, were people from pagan lands, not Israelites. Yet they were to be tolerated and respected as long as they did not practice idolatry or create trouble for the Kingdom. Unfortunately, the ancient Israelites eventually failed to stop idolatrous practices, even failed to love their neighbors as the Lord commanded. They fell prey to the allure of foreign deities which allowed them to satisfy their sensual appetites. Consequently, the Lord God punished the people of Israel for their unfaithfulness.
We Christians should treat immigrants and aliens as neighbors. If these people are willing to live peaceably within our midst, then we ought to treat them with the love and compassion of Jesus Christ in obedience to God and as a testimony to the truth of our faith. The lives of all people matter to God even though He does not matter to all people. He loves them. So should we.