Who Are God’s People?

March 10, 2010

We sometimes want to choose who God calls us to love and to serve.

For example, many of us say that poor people are poor because of their own bad choices, so they don’t deserve our help. Now, first of all, this largely isn’t true. But secondly, and more importantly, God calls us to love the poor no matter what. He doesn’t say “love the poor unless they made bad decisions.”

Similarly, he calls us to love immigrants. He doesn’t say love the immigrant, but only if he has his paperwork in order.

Leviticus 19:33-34 (The Message) says:

When a foreigner lives with you in your land, don’t take advantage of him. Treat the foreigner the same as a native. Love him like one of your own. Remember that you were once foreigners in Egypt. I am God, your God.

Why do we struggle with that? Why do we make our love conditional?