Category Archives: On Sojourners, Walls & Illegal Aliens

To whom are the hospitality commands given? The original series from May 2016 has now concluded. Reflecting back on those posts, I now realize that I failed to meaningfully address what may be the biggest question: To whom were the … Continue reading →

Tentative conclusions So is it right for the federal government to make certain that immigrants — even refugees — have no criminal history or otherwise pose no threat to the safety of the US? Absolutely. It would be a failure … Continue reading →

So let’s return to where we began, with the Pope’s declaration — A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not the gospel. We need to avoid … Continue reading →

Paige Gutacker has written a nice summary of hospitality as practiced in Greco-Roman society, the Jews, and the early Christians. I skip to her comparison of Christian hospitality to that practiced by the other groups — While the provisions of … Continue reading →

The Torah’s encouragement of sojourners in the Promised Land is a natural consequence of the hospitality expected in the Ancient Near East. Abraham was legendary for his hospitality, as evidenced by his treatment of three strangers, one of whom turned out … Continue reading →

The Torah contains many commands regarding sojourners, treating them as a vulnerable class that God especially is concerned to protect. For example, (Exod. 22:21-24 ESV) 21 “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the … Continue reading →

The OT book of Nehemiah is remarkably readable — and I’ve just read it. It recounts the story of Nehemiah, cupbearer to the king of Persia. After the Southern Kingdom (Judah) was taken into Babylonian Captivity by Nebuchadnezzar, the Persians … Continue reading →

I have to start with a confession. I have trouble staying awake when the preacher starts a sermon bringing up Nehemiah and building walls. I do. It’s just that I’ve heard it so many times before. It’s as though preachers … Continue reading →

Way back in May 2016 I posted a series called “On Sojourners, Walls and Illegal Aliens.” I’m going to repost the 7-part series and then extend it by just a post or two — all running concurrently with the present … Continue reading →