This Is Pure and Undefiled Religion: Take Care of Orphans and Widows in Their Affliction
Those in positions of power have a history of using the bible to justify injustice in this country. Historians of race and religion have carefully documented how slave owners often selectively quoted passages in the New Testament about slavery to justify the dehumanizing practice of slavery.
The misapplication of Scripture to rationalize a modern form of injustice was put on public display last week. The Attorney General misused a verse from Romans 13 to offer biblical support for the separation of immigrant families at the border. Many scholars, pastors, and theologians have responded to the Attorney General’s reading with a historical analysis of the context of Romans and by appealing to other passages in the bible that speak of caring for the sojourner and foreigner.
My own remarks here focus on a few examples from Jesus’ teachings in the Gospels and James’ teaching in his letter that remind Christians what our postures toward the immigrant should be. Both examples show the importance of and the necessity of Christians extending compassion, love, and mercy, when possible and in ways that are consistent with the gospel, to those who are vulnerable and socially marginalized when there are opportunities to do so.
Jesus
Jesus’ teachings in the Gospels say much about love, justice, compassion, and mercy for the socially marginalized and socially vulnerable. In Jesus’ sermon in a synagogue, he says he came to “preach the gospel to the poor, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” as promised in the prophet Isaiah (Luke 4:18-19; cf. Isaiah 61:1-2).
Luke records Jesus pursuing the sick (Luke 4:31-41), the lame (Luke 5:17-26; 6:6-11; 17:11-19), the poor and the afflicted (Luke 6:20-23), and women (Luke 7:11-16; 8:1-3) with mercy, love, compassion, and a keen awareness of kingdom-justice. These groups would have experienced social vulnerability and social marginalization in the first-century context in which Jesus preached and ministered. Jesus’ penal substitutionary death for their sins and his resurrection from the dead provided forgiveness of sins for those from these groups who followed him. He often met the physical needs of those who were socially marginalized and vulnerable to show them his upcoming death for sins and his resurrection were for them too, the socially marginalized, to show that God’s kingdom had come to earth through his ministry, and to show that his kingdom includes them.
In fact, Jesus seems to have a special interest in ministering to and caring for those who are socially marginalized and vulnerable throughout his ministry (cf. Luke 4:18-18:43). This is one reason he met both their physical needs and their spiritual needs as he invited these diverse vulnerable and marginalized groups to become his disciples and follow him.
James
Jesus’ early followers continued his message of love, mercy, justice, and compassion for those who were socially vulnerable and socially marginalized. In his letter to the Christians scattered throughout the Diaspora, James says: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: take care of orphans and widows in their affliction, and keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27).
James urges Christians to show mercy and love and not to discriminate against the poor by showing favoritism toward the rich (James 2:1-13). He further emphasizes Christians should speak words that bless instead of words that curse and words that edify instead of words that destroy (James 3:1-12). Words that dehumanize, shame, or tear down the self-worth or human dignity of those who are socially marginalized and vulnerable are examples of words that curse, but words that speak gospel-hope and truth into the lives of the socially marginalized and vulnerable are examples of words that bless. James prioritizes the right gospel-behavior because it proves that one has genuine saving faith (James 2:14-26).
Conclusion
Immigrant families and sojourners are currently suffering great affliction as their children are separated from their families. Their suffering is compounded by many in our country who both speak of, to, or about them and who treat them in dehumanizing ways. Thankfully, actions have been taken by the government to stop the separation of immigrant families. And prayerfully, there will be actions taken to reunite the separated families.
Sadly, there are those who identify with the Christian faith who are complicit in the mistreatment of immigrants in general in word and deed and who misuse Scripture to support mistreatment of the so-called “other.” Jesus’ teaching and other examples in the New Testament especially emphasize the Christian gospel requires Christians to show compassion and mercy to the socially vulnerable and the socially marginalized when possible (Just read James).
May Christians and Christian organizations continue to consider ways we can share and show gospel-love, mercy, and compassion to our immigrant neighbors in words and deeds in ways that honor Jesus Christ. For this is true and undefiled religion: to take care of orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep ourselves unstained from the world.
Artie Whitefox
People called atheists are keeping me from posting on their comment page. I will post here what I cannot post there.
Religon is not what you think. Religon is pure and undefiled or it is defiled. What master do you server? Jesus is pure undefiled religon in us, doing of his good pleasure, through us. They that grieve Jesus out of them will say words that will defile their soul. Bitter words will come out of a defiled soul. Rightious judging will not be given. Defiled people come to steal, kill and destroy. They spew accusation’s condeming whoever. Christs character will not be seen. Defiled people love with deception or dissimulation.
Jesus is right, and good. Pure undefiled religon through us. We cannot do good on our own. God is not interpreting the word religon in the church. God is not seen in the church. That makes people to say they are atheist, rejecting liars in the church. That would not happen had truth be spoken. Wars started 600 years after Christ.
Muslims caused those wars. Muslims think that they are the superior race. That made Hitler to think his nation was a superior race. USA was not smart enough to correct anyone. We are the human race. A simple consept that went right over the heads of many.
We need to love others seeing them as Jesus himself. Whatever you do our don’t do, you are doing it or not doing it, unto Jesus. The church did not make that to be clear.
Muslims bow down to an immoral being calling itself God, lying. Jesus did not teach people to punish nude people. The evil spirit in Islam is also in the catholic church. Catholic priests are blasphemers identifying as Father. Jesus is the Father God visually seen.
Gays are not Sodomites. Sodomites have the same idea about Judguing as Islam and USA legal system. That is not gay anything.
The saved will be married to Jesus. It would be really strange had Jesus say: males, you are lost because you are male. I can only marry females. Devils see God’s light as punishment, not a made up acronym.
Look on Upcspine, scientific studies. You will see the named illnesses that are helped with precision, upper cervical spesific only, chiropractic. A bad spine will = bad health. NUCCA and Grostic are two good techniques. Gentle, and effective. Don’t delay. Only exception is after an accident. Wait 4 – 5 days. How healthy your spine is will determine your response to care.
Muslims asked for it being the way they are. They obey the one and only fallen Lucifer. Muslims say no angels fell. Death would not be anywhere had no angels fallen. Muslims are against the Jews. So is the church. That is why Muslims are welcomed by the church. Muslims deserved what they got in the crusades’.
It is immoral to say no to Jesus through a person, when that person makes a request, whatever it is. Jesus knows where the thing is that will be requested even as you know the type of fruit, that will be on whatever tree. ]
Money is immoral. The immoral church caused money to exist. The immoral church destroyed many indians.
who did not use money.
Satan trembles 24/ 7, not knowing when Jesus will show up with power and great glory. The mind of Satan is in the church giving what that being has, which is fear. God says don’t be afraid.
\
Eternal damnation is eternal body and soul death. The church is saying thou shalt not surly die, using different words, saying what Satan said in the garden of Eden. Wake up, church.
Artie whitefox
I am glad that people finally figured out what pure undefiled religon is. The use of money makes the widow and fatherless to not have a place to lay their head. It is impossible to visit a homeless person who is aimlessly wandering all over the place.
God gave to us the best that there is. We can do the same with with each other, when we give to each other what we make. people are extracting God’s gifts out of the earth at a rapid pace, making many different priced items. Many of them are low quality, trying to make money. That will stop when money is no longer used around the world. money will be seen as being the nothing it is, when those free gifts are no more. The world will be one big ghost town.
Artie Whitefox
Bring into the storehouse meant food, not silver and gold coins. We are the human race. Pure underfilled religon is Christ in our mind doing of his good pleasure. Religon is not what has been taught. People used Scripture to their own end. Freedom of religon is a misnomer that Muslims use. Muslims use whatever excuse to dwell with us. They are sad not being able to torture, and kill us and our pets suddenly to please the being they bow down too. They try to say that people are racist when they are rejected. We are the human race. Diversiity is a misnomer too. We are people.
He was his money the, Bible says. People try to make God out to be a monster who sanction’s the punishing of people, which is a lie. people are distracted away from the he is his money statement. Satan wants us to think that cloth and coins are money. Romans 13 is counseling people to respect people who use scripture aright, being a minister of the word. That word is a double edged sword. It does not cut lie an ordinary sword. God’s naked image has been socially marginalized. People who have their kind of sex, have been marginalized. Islamic people want to marginalize all that are not Muslim. Better know how to find them. I did that when I was in Rohnert Park when I was there. People are all to willing to marginalize pedophilia people and zoophilia people doing what they do. Jesus is the judge, not the unseen Father. Christs mind in our mind not being offended when seeing the nude form or a person putting their part in whatever will not offended person who has great peace in them. They that are not offended will be peacful, keeping God’s laws. People need to know that they can relax being themselves. People are afraid not knowing if they can or not. People curse zoos saying pervert, die. The person who says that are they that have a perverted tongue not talking like Jesus. People like that have no natural affection.
Muslims want to be a condeming Judge even as the person who was in front of Lots door. The two angels and Lot were not protected from a sexual encounter.
Artie Whitefox
Edited: Where is my truthful comment? God will reject they that reject he who God sent. God will be a consuming fire to them. Money makes orphans and homeless, making people to be bad to people. People cry out for the very thing that harms people. People can see it. They that have it feel safe, not wanting to let go of money. Charity according to the KJV Bible is the bond of perfectness. How can a building of a spesific name or a truck of a spesific name make a person to be perfect? People are not thinking. Pure undefiled religon is Jesus doing his good pleasure through you. Jesus does not care about what you fuck. Jesus does not mind seeing you without clothing. Jesus is not a fear giver. God’s idea of slave is not our idea of slave. We need to serve one another. The carnal mind being turned into sex blinded people. Carnal mind, is carnal mind. Muslims who come to destroy are using the Immigrant thing. We must not be equally yoked with them. You need to know g how to identify them ,and know how to scare them with the truth. One name that vibrates the air cannot be greater than another name that vibrates the air. Muslims have been deceived for over 1400 years. I have said that to Muslims. Jesus would have had his legs broken had he not been God visually seen. A man cannot raise himself up. A man cannot say into thy hands I commend my spirit, and then die. Money makes poor people. How can ask and receive, seek and find, make poor people? No one will be rich with what God made with money continuing to be used. Liberty to the captives? Jail the person accused of pedophilia. Jail the nude person. Threaten a gay with death. Say pervert to a zoosexual misusing the word pervert perverting justice. The pervert is the mean froward abominable person cursing at a person wanting to kill a person. People who are born of fornication do that needing to be born again. Jesus did not ask for money even when he was going to pay for the sins of the world. Don’t want to destroy? Remove laws that terrorize people 24/7 letting them know that those laws are been removed. Muslims only care about their mayrters kids. A Muslim is sad when one of their kids did not die a mayrters death, killing others or is sad when one not die to make others to be sympathetic to them, to get free stuff. That free stuff will come back to bite the giver. Kids are seen as a tool for their own end. No natural affection.
Artie Whitefox
Where is my truthful comment? God will reject they that reject he who God sent. God will be a consuming fire to them. Money makes orphans and homeless, making people to be bad to people. People cry out for the very thing that harms people. People can see it. They that have it feel safe, not wanting to let go of money. Charity according to the KJV Bible is the bond of perfectness. How can a building of a spesific name or a truck of a spesific name make a person to be perfect? People are not thinking. Pure undefiled religon is Jesus doing his good pleasure through you. Jesus does not care about what you fuck. Jesus does not mind seeing you without clothing. Jesus is not a fear giver. God’s idea of slave is not our idea of slave. We need to serve one another. The carnal mind being turned into sex blinded people. Carnal mind, is carnal mind. Muslims who come to destroy are using the Immigrant thing. We must not be equally yoked with them. You need to know g how to identify them ,and know how to scare them with the truth. One name that vibrates the air cannot be greeter than another name that vibrates the air. Muslims have been deceived for over 1400 years. I have said that to Muslims. Jesus would have had his legs broken had he not been God visually seen. A man cannot raise himself up. A man cannot say into thy hands I commend my spirit, and then die. Money makes poor people. How can ask and receive, seek and find, make poor people? No one will be rich with what God made with money continuing to be used. Liberty to the captives? Jail the person accused of pedophilia. Jail the nude person. Threaten a gay with death. Say pervert to a zoosexual misusing the word pervert perverting justice. The pervert is the mean froward abominable person cursing at a person wanting to kill a person. People who are born of fornication do that needing to be born again. Jesus did not ask for money even when he was going to pay for the sins of the world. Don’t want to destroy? Remove laws that terrorize people 24/7 letting them know that those laws are been removed. Muslims only care about their mayrters kids. A Muslim is sad when one of their kids did not die a mayrters death, killing others or is sad when one not die to make others to be sympathetic to them, to get free stuff. That free stuff will come back to bite the giver. Kids are seen as a tool for their own end. No natural affection.
Artie Whitefox
Money makes orphans and homeless, making people to be bad to people. People cry out for the very thing that harms people. People can see it. They that have it feel safe, not wanting to let go of money. Charity according to the KJV Bible is the bond of perfectness. How can a building of a spesific name or a truck of a spesific name make a person to be perfect? People are not thinking. Pure undefiled religon is Jesus doing his good pleasure through you. Jesus does not care about what you fuck. Jesus does not mind seeing you without clothing. Jesus is not a fear giver. God’s idea of slave is not our idea of slave. We need to serve one another. The carnal mind being turned into sex blinded people. Carnal mind, is carnal mind. Muslims who come to destroy are using the Immigrant thing. We must not be equally yoked with them. You need to know g how to identify them ,and know how to scare them with the truth. One name that vibrates the air cannot be greeter than another name that vibrates the air. Muslims have been deceived for over 1400 years. I have said that to Muslims. Jesus would have had his legs broken had he not been God visually seen. A man cannot raise himself up. A man cannot say into thy hands I commend my spirit, and then die. Money makes poor people. How can ask and receive, seek and find, make poor people? No one will be rich with what God made with money continuing to be used. Liberty to the captives? Jail the person accused of pedophilia. Jail the nude person. Threaten a gay with death. Say pervert to a zoosexual misusing the word pervert perverting justice. The pervert is the mean froward abominable person cursing at a person wanting to kill a person. People who are born of fornication do that needing to be born again. Jesus did not ask for money even when he was going to pay for the sins of the world. Don’t want to destroy? Remove laws that terrorize people 24/7 letting them know that those laws are been removed. Muslims only care about their mayrters kids. A Muslim is sad when one of their kids did not die a mayrters death, killing others or is sad when one not die to make others to be sympathetic to them, to get free stuff. That free stuff will come back to bite the giver. Kids are seen as a tool for their own end. No natural affection.
Thomas W.
Toviyah,
To what are you specifically speaking, as you left out the reasons/examples?
Every man, including myself is not above correction. All the more so if we are equal human beings regardless of our colors.
My questions and arguments are not from a place of nonacceptance of the man, his knowledge, capacity, or merit. And my last two paragraphs were to Christians in general.
Toviyah
I’ve always wondered why the colored authors need to be corrected. Do you have any idea why that is ?
(p.s. please review his bio).
He is ACCEPTED by the orthodox white christians. Also, a humble apology to the brother may be in order.
Toviyah
Thomas W.
Sojourners in Isreal were not simply foreigners. They were legal immigrants that abided by the laws of the land, namely Israel, and could be grafted in and circumised if male like all Israelites. They were more than simply a foreigner or trader that visited. They could if circumcised having accepted Israel’s God, engage in the Passover, where other foreigners could not.
And then there were those like the Philistines in which Israel would never have allowed in for obvious reasons and never labeled as sojourners.
If we are mind reading Sessions intentions, assuming that he’s including an unjust law in his usage of Romans 13, then is the comparison to Sojourners a misuse as well? The contention between the two worldviews here is quite often centered around “illegal”. Someone who doesn’t abide by the due process and law of the land.
Calling every legal immigrant a Sojourner is reasonable. Lumping illegal immigrants in to the term conflates the definition. I would caution here lest we’re no better than Sessions at using Scripture.
Which I think Sessions sees the zero tolerance policy as protective, and thus just to him, thus the usage of Romans 13. In essence, not a misuse of Scripture for him, but simply wrong on it being a just example for us. You can tell this by noticing he never called it an unjust law that he then used Romans 13 to justify our obedience too. We’re inferring or hallucinating that strawman.
As Christians, its very easy to be led by the nose when our emotions are played with. Both by media and government.
Many of the photos like the one used in this article are from 2014 or 2015. I think Obama’s use of catch and release had its own set of problems, as they likewise attempted to deal with the influx of immigrants both legal and illegal, esp kids that came without parents or with fake parents. By decades of law we have to provide proper shelter and food. But I see that with good intentions, and I think the zero tolerance was largely for Sessions’ good intentions an attempt to fix holes in the previous method. Neither have worked, but the comparisons to concentration camps, and the typical media misuse of photos and potentially isolated stories, aren’t helping either.
As Christians, we’d be better off not engaging on the knee jerk reactions, accusations, and insinuations, but instead engage in solutions. And encourage us to be rather than arm chair charitable Americans, actually do what the Lord calls us to in going OUT into the world.