What Does the Bible Say About What Does The Bible Say About How To Treat Illegal Aliens?
Scripture consistently commands God's people to treat foreigners and strangers with love and dignity, remembering their own past vulnerability and God's example of defending the defenseless.
Scripture on What Does The Bible Say About How To Treat Illegal Aliens
Leviticus 19:33-34
Old Testament
"When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God."
Exodus 23:9
Old Testament
"Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt."
Deuteronomy 10:17-19
Old Testament
"For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt."
Matthew 25:35-40
New Testament
"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me... The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'"
1 Peter 2:12
New Testament
"Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us."
The Bottom Line
God sees the foreigner as someone made in His image and calls His people to dignity and compassion—not cruelty or indifference.
Try Today
If you encounter someone in your neighborhood or community from another country, ask their name and listen to their story for ten minutes without judgment.
Prayer
Jesus taught us to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:39), and He invites us to bring our honest struggles to the Father.
Father, You loved us while we were still outsiders to You, strangers to Your kingdom. I confess that I sometimes fear or dismiss people who are different, whose circumstances I don't fully understand. Help me see their humanity and dignity as You do. Give me courage to act with kindness toward the vulnerable, whether they're next door or across the world. Teach me to look beyond status or legality to see Your image in every person. In Jesus' name, Amen.
📚 Read Leviticus 19, which contains God's repeated commands for how His people must treat the vulnerable and marginalized among them.
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