Fear Not

This week I read that Jesus was not a refugee

- Hurricane Katrina

Reminded more of what a person thought themselves than what is

Definition of a refugee

Why is that offensive?

Perhaps because many look down on refugees

Being the object of offense, what everyone hates, is exactly what many of us are afraid of

I have a speech impediment, some of you pick up on it so people have questioned my sexuality

I am white so people assume I’m racist or out to get them

People have called me things that I am not, accused me of things I didn’t do

It offends me, ticks me off, gets me ready to fight

Have they done that to you? Have you be given a label because of something you’ve done, something that was done to you or just who you were when you born.

Perhaps your a black female, or a hispanic male, struggled in school, have a disability, people throw names at you, and you hate when labels are thrown your way.

Why? Why do I get so offended by labels?

Is it because I know a person means towards me and I can’t handle the attack even untrue?

Is it because I feel “a certain way”, I hate those labeled that way and don’t want to be so

Is it because I have much meaner labels and want to prove that they aren’t better than me, there labels are real

What does Jesus want us to do? Love Others

The Lord tells us to love our neighbors

John 13:34–35 CSB

34 “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Love our brothers and sisters in Christ. This is how we know people are Christians.

This kind of love isn’t easy either.

I can love someone and not like them?

Remember one of many definitions of love described by God is

1 John 3:16 NRSV

16 We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.

Laying down your life, or the description of love

Mark 12:31 CSB

31 The second is, Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.”

Jesus is incredibly serious. He goes from loving others who love Jesus, to just loving others, to even loving your enemies. Those who are against us.

Matthew 5:44 CSB

44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

He really means it and we can see it in How he came to us at Christmas

God, himself, chose to come to us as someone with offensive labels

He came as a bastard child (offensive)

It’s a term used to ridicule, make some one look low

A label used to shame others for their parent’s behavior

He came poor. He was homeless at birth

His parents couldn’t afford or get a home

He came as an oppressed minority

Jesus wasn’t white.

He grew up in a land where his own people where under the rule of foreigners

Like every other jew he would be called athiests by the Romans

The Roman soldiers, could come up at any time and force the men to stop what they are doing and have them carry there stuff.

And yes he would end up a refugee

When the wise men visited him, Herod used it as a ruse

Matthew 2:13–17 CSB

13 After they were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Get up! Take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to kill him.” 14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and escaped to Egypt. 15 He stayed there until Herod’s death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: Out of Egypt I called my Son. 16 Then Herod, when he realized that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men. 17 Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

Jesus, is not only God but chose to become like you. Those that names that people call you. God chose to receive that ridicule on himself. God knows you. God knows what He calls on us to do.

God, Jesus Christ chose to take them on Himself and even those labels go to the cross with Christ.

God conquers labels.

The label that matters, I am a follower of Jesus Christ

He invited you to accept the Gift of Himself this Christmas. to accept that God knows you. God isn’t afraid of your struggles right now, God is willing to take over if you choose to follow Him.

You can come to Jesus with the story of your abuse, your failures, your treatment in this world and know that God has an even greater purpose than overcoming labels.

He knows your label. Crazy, dumb, addict, weak, whatever your label Jesus casts that aside and says

Matthew 11:28 CSB

28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

But once your a follower of Jesus what do you do?

Recognize that life is not about using those labels as an excuse to continue treating people like crap. Life is about freedom in Jesus. Freedom from the attacks of others. You are a child of the king.

When others come at you saying all things against you take your pain and remember Christmas. God chose to become like you, mistreated, accused, for your freedom.

Romans 6:22 NLT

22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.

So you who follow Christ, as you cast off all the labels this world has thrown on you, knowing that the only label you need is Follower of Jesus, throw off all the labels on everyone else as well.

A refugee is not a lesser person, someone opposite your gender, your race, and even your religion is not lesser. They are a person created by God in the imago dei, the image of God, a person whom God loved enough to die for, and you too are to love them as well.

Your love for that other person is to be a way to show Jesus himself, how much you love him.

Love them. Share your freedom with them. And God help me and help you, to meet any attack with love and prayers of blessing.