Biblical Mandate on Immigrants – The Korea Times

By Steven L. Shields

Some Christians like to demand that we take the Bible ‘literally’. They claim that the writings in the book require no interpretation. These Christians like to claim that their position is the only correct position and that all other ideas are wrong. However, I have found from experience that the position of such Christians is selective at best.

Immigration is in the news as government agencies and industries try to find ways to meet the labor needs that are crucial to the Korean economy. These labor needs go so far as to include domestic help, such as maids and nannies. The argument that certain immigrant workers should be exempt from the minimum wage and other labor laws has recently been put forward by some economists, including the Bank of Korea. Many countries are struggling with the policy issues surrounding migration.

As more and more workers from other countries pour into Korea at the invitation of the government, Korea’s society and culture will be indelibly changed. I suspect most people don’t want this to happen any more than it already does. Some of my Korean friends are in favor of limiting wages for these immigrants so that they cannot compete economically. My friends expressed concern about the many women in my neighborhood wearing certain styles of clothing.

If, as some say, the Bible is to be taken literally, it must be all or nothing. No “cherry-picking” of issues should be allowed. Isn’t that what ‘literally’ means? So to these literal people I have to ask, “How do you deal with immigrants?”

For those of the Jewish and Christian faiths, escaping oppression and migrating to another country is a fundamental event. The book of Exodus tells how the Hebrew people escaped from Egypt and went to what they called the “promised land.” There they hoped to live freely, to have food for their families and shelter from the storm. There was no “ancestral” homeland for the Hebrews; they had always been nomadic. They moved to the countries on the eastern side of the Mediterranean Sea. Their ethical basis instructed them to treat all foreigners – read: immigrants – well, because they too had been foreigners in a new country. The words ‘alien’, ‘alien’ and ‘foreigner’ are synonymous with ‘immigrant’. The ancient Hebrews recognized the divine grace that accompanied them in their flight from Egypt.

In the Hebrew Bible, or the “Old” Testament, there is a clear mandate that those who are faithful to the “One” God of the Bible welcome and help immigrants. In Leviticus 19:33–34: “If there is a foreigner living among you in your land, do not mistreat him. The foreigner living among you must be treated as your native. Love him as yourself.” This mandate is repeated many times. Equality in human relationships is not a foreign concept. Human rights are about protecting smaller groups. Yet in many countries the tyranny of the majority seems to be the rule of the 21st century.

Extending hospitality to immigrants is one of the Bible’s most important ethical standards. Refusing hospitality is among the greatest sins. This is so important that the book of Malachi includes immigrant abuse in its list of sins that God hates. Malachi uses strong language in this matter. Deuteronomy 10:17–19 tells God’s people that God loves immigrants, and that the people should love them too and provide them with food and clothing. There is more in Ezekiel 47:22–23, Leviticus 19:10, Exodus 23:12–13, Deuteronomy 26:12, and 14:28–29. In fact, “tithing,” a staple of Christian church funding, is supposed to help immigrants and other beneficiaries.

There should be only one law for the resident and the immigrant, and not a separate set of rules for each group. Such themes are also repeated throughout the Christian Scriptures.

We read such ideas mainly in Matthew 25:44–46. Jesus’ mandate in Matthew 25 is perhaps one of the most important parts of the Bible that is routinely ignored by literalists. There is more in 1 Peter, Hebrews and many places in the Gospels.

Forgive those who sin against us. Love our enemies. Feed people living in poverty. Take care of the immigrant. Walk the extra mile. Turn the other cheek. Pray for those who hurt you.

Are we ready to take the words of the Bible literally?

Rev. Steven L. Shields ([email protected]) has lived in Korea for many years, beginning in the 1970s. He is a lifelong member of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea and has served as director and president. He was editor-in-chief of The Korea Times in 1977. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the editorial position of The Korea Times.