Earlier this week I read that Afghan Christians seeking asylum in the US received letters that stated:
Your parole will terminate 7 days from the date of this notice. If you do not depart from the United States immediately you will be subject to potential law enforcement actions that will result in your removal from the United States — unless you have otherwise obtained a lawful basis to remain here. … You will be subject to potential criminal prosecution, civil fines, and penalties, and any other lawful options available to the federal government.
By coincidence (one hopes) the termination date was yesterday: Good Friday for Christians.
I’ve read comments from American Christians about Christian immigrants who face deportation that they should be glad to go home in order to spread the gospel. By that same logic, Afghan Christians should be glad to be deported to martyrdom. It makes me think of what Jesus endured on Good Friday.
He was brought before two courts. The first was a Jewish religious court that determined he was a blasphemer:
Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death.—Mark 14:55-64 ESV
Talking about the 5th Amendment is an anachronism in this context, but he was condemned only by his own words. If they are true, he would not be deserving of death. The second trial was before the Roman authority in Jerusalem:
Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.—Mark 15:6–15 ESV
In this case he was delivered to death because Pilate listened to the crowd rather than his own judgement. Jesus didn’t exactly put on the best defense in his own cases, but the point of the trials was so that he would be unjustly condemned. It was all part of the plan.
So did Jesus think other people should follow his steps to martyrdom? He did say to pick up our cross. But he also said this:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”—Matthew 25:31–46 ESV
I don’t think it can be more clear. If we do not welcome strangers, we are not welcoming Jesus. If we deny immigrants due process, we are denying Jesus due process. If we send people to a foreign prison without ensuring they deserve prison, we are doing that to Jesus as well.
Here’s my church’s Good Friday service this year: