Who Is My Neighbor? A Theological Response to Immigration and the Gospel

Radical Mercy in a Divided World: A Theological Call to Embrace the Stranger

“The parable of the Good Samaritan” - Gerges Samir (Orthodox Iconographer)

The question posed to Jesus in the Parable of the Good Samaritan—"Who is my neighbor?"—is not merely an inquiry about proximity but a search for the boundaries of moral responsibility. The lawyer, an expert in the Law, sought to justify himself by determining the minimum requirement to fulfill the commandment of love. Yet Jesus, in his response, subverts the premise of the question entirely. Instead of defining neighborliness by proximity or shared identity, Jesus presents an outsider—a despised Samaritan—as the true exemplar of mercy and compassion. This parable provides a theological lens through which Christians must engage with the contemporary issue of immigration, challenging any ideology that seeks to prioritize national identity over human dignity.

Biblical Mandates to Welcome the Stranger

Scripture is clear in its call for the people of God to care for the immigrant, the refugee, and the marginalized. Israel was instructed to love the foreigner, remembering their own history as aliens in Egypt (Deuteronomy 10:19). Jesus himself was a refugee, fleeing to Egypt as an infant to escape the violent edict of Herod (Matthew 2:13-15). In the final judgment scene of Matthew 25, Christ identifies himself with the stranger, stating that whatever is done to the least of these is done unto him. The ethic of the Gospel demands an extravagant mercy that transcends tribal and nationalistic boundaries.

The parable of the Good Samaritan parable reinforces this ethic by illustrating that love and mercy are not contingent upon social, ethnic, or political affiliations. The Samaritan, who would have been viewed as an enemy by Jesus' audience, demonstrates the radical hospitality of God's kingdom. His actions serve as a direct rebuke to exclusionary religious and societal norms. Likewise, in today's context, the call to love the immigrant and the refugee is not an optional act of charity but an essential aspect of Christian discipleship.

Christian Nationalism: A Distortion of the Gospel

Christian nationalism, which seeks to conflate religious identity with nationalistic fervor, stands in stark opposition to the inclusive vision of the Gospel. This ideology often employs scriptural misinterpretations to justify exclusionary immigration policies, portraying the defense of national borders as a divine mandate. However, such a stance misrepresents the mission of Christ, who consistently broke down barriers rather than erecting them.