Let me start with a disclaimer.
This piece is not intended to be critical of the homeless, of Jesus Christ or of undocumented immigrants in any way.
That said:
Jesus was not homeless, nor was he an undocumented immigrant.
From the Gospel of Luke:
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus*that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son.* She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Homeless? Not hardly.
Jesus’ human father Joseph had a home and a business in Nazareth, where he and Mary lived. Calling them homeless the same is if you were on a long car trip and all the motels had “No Vacancy” signs out. You might have to sleep in your car, but that doesn’t make you homeless except in the most temporary way.
An undocumented immigrant? Not that either.
The first sentence in the excerpt from Luke has been written in several different ways in different ways. including the word “taxed” instead of “enrolled,” and also using the word “census” instead of “enrollment.” In other words, Joseph made the trip to Bethlehem either to pay his taxes or to register to pay taxes.
So much for the undocumented part. As for immigrant, Joseph was a direct descendant of King David.
He was not an immigrant.
Before the Trumpanzees get excited and think what I’m writing somehow supports their heartless opinions, it doesn’t.
I believe we owe it to ourselves to support the homeless and to take a humane attitude toward the undocumented, and if you wonder why, I’ll refer you to the words of Jesus himself.
From Matthew 25: 40-45:
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
How about that.