The Ten Lepers and Christian Xenophobia

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The Ten Lepers and Christian Xenophobia

Herb Montgomery | October 10, 2025

If you’d like to listen to this week’s article in podcast version click on the image below:

Our reading this week is from the gospel of Luke.

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’s feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:11-19)

The phrase that jumps out at me in this week’s reading is, “Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” One of Luke’s larger themes is opening up the early Jesus movement to a more diverse community than more Jewish people. From Luke chapter 4 all the way through to Pentecost in Acts are signs that, though the Jesus movement had deep Jewish roots, it would ultimately be composed of a much more multicultural community.

In fact, this story’s affirmation of the “foreigner” has a solid foundation in Jewish wisdom.

Consider the following passages from the Torah:

“Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.” (Exodus 22:21)

“Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt . . . Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may be refreshed.” (Exodus 23:9, 12)

“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.” (Leviticus 19:34)

“When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.” (Deuteronomy 26:12, cf. Deuteronomy 24:19-21, Deuteronomy 14:28-29)

“Do not deprive the foreigner or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge.” (Deuteronomy 24:17)

“And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 10:19)

“’Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.’ Then all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’” (Deuteronomy 27:19)

“He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.” (Deuteronomy 10:18)

If a fellow Israelite was plunged into poverty, how they treated foreigners was the standard by which they were to help their fellow native-born neighbors:

“If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you. Do not take interest or any profit from them, but fear your God, so that they may continue to live among you. You must not lend them money at interest or sell them food at a profit. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.” (Leviticus 25:35-38, emphasis added.)

This all stands in stark contrast to the xenophobia so many in our American society today hold and act on. One of the societal failures that were called out by the Hebrew prophetic justice tradition was their society’s mistreatment of the foreigner and denying them justice. I can’t help but think of America right now as I read this verse from Ezekiel:

“The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner, denying them justice.” (Ezekiel 22:29)

The Hebrew scriptures are far from univocal about the foreigner, though, and this is why there is debate among Christians today. In our sacred text, we also find exceptionalism, a teaching that often leads those who see themselves as culturally exceptional to view themselves as superior to other cultures. As an example, Christian European colonizers used portions of the Exodus narrative about the nations in Canaan to enact genocide on Indigenous populations in their day. The Bible includes “stories in which it is easy to identify with the displaced people of the land, as opposed to the expanding invaders—with Canaanites and Moabites rather than the Hebrews. The parallels are all the more painful as European colonialists over the centuries consciously used the conquest of Canaan as a model for their own activities” (Philip Jenkins, Laying Down the Sword: Why We Can’t Ignore the Bible’s Violent Verses, p. 20-21).

The scriptures are not going to force any of us to treat today’s migrants any particular way. We get to choose which portions of our sacred text we want to shape us here. Do we want to be the kind of humans who vote for and support mistreating migrants at the U.S. border, refusing asylum for those seeking protections, or placing children who have been separated from their parents into detention centers. Do you want to be that kind of person? Scripture will not give you much cover if you do. You may find verses that you can use to help support your biases, but there are also passages on the other side of the debate, as well. So what makes you choose one set of passages to follow over others, especially in light of the story of Jesus through which Christianity claims to interpret Scripture. However many passages one may find to justify the mistreatment of migrants today, we must all stand naked before Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:

“I was a foreigner and you invited me in . . . whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:35-40)

The word for foreigner here is xeno, from which we get the word xenophobia.

In his book Brown Church: Five Centuries of Latina/o Social Justice, Theology, and Identity,  Robert Chao Romero writes:

“We have been wanted for our land and labor, while at the same time rejected for our cultural and ethnic difference. When economic times get tough, we become the disposable “illegal alien,” and are scapegoated and deported. We are wanted and unwanted. Necessary, yet despised.” (p. 15).

Romeo also reminds us, in chilling resonance with the passage we just read in Matthew 25, that “Jesus, our Lord, was also Brown. As a working class, young adult, Jewish man living in the colonized territory of Galilee, he also occupied a space of social, political, cultural, and religious liminality” (p. 16).

As many of you know, I live in Appalachia. Recently, I overheard a group of four working-class White men complaining that a nearby construction site was “filled with Mexicans.” Because I knew a few of those construction workers through various faith communities here locally, I knew they were actually from Honduras, but everyone who presents as Latin American is a “Mexican” to certain folks around here. Their actual national origin was also incidental to the slur. They could have been American by citizenship and would have still been targeted as “Mexicans.” Slurs are not about facts, but about prejudice, stereotyping, and exclusion. 

I then overheard one of the men respond, “Someone needs to call I.C.E.!” And the conversation escalated from there. In their own echo chamber, their xenophobia became uglier and uglier. I also know one of the men in that group. They and their family are weekly churchgoers. They sit in a pew each week and listen to preachers preach from the gospels, but somehow they missed the part of Jesus’ teachings that we’re reading this week. I turned around and did my best to speak up on the construction workers’ behalf, but it mostly fell on ears that refused to hear. 

Another example of the many justice violations being committed toward migrants in the U.S. currently is denial of due process. Placing Jesus’ teachings to the side for just a moment, consider this though the lens of the U.S. constitution. Denying migrants due process undermines fundamental human rights and the rule of law. It strips individuals of the opportunity to fairly present their case, and often results in wrongful deportations or detentions. Migrants fleeing violence, persecution, or poverty may face life-threatening consequences if deported without a hearing. Due process ensures accountability, transparency, and justice in immigration systems, and when it is denied, it fosters discrimination, abuse of power, and systemic injustice. Upholding due process is essential for a fair and humane immigration policy. Without it, basic democratic principles are compromised, and vulnerable populations are left without legal protection or a voice. Every time we weaken democratic principles, we are not just harming others, we are making our world less safe for ourselves, as well. 

Looking out on the landscape of the current crisis with our migrant population, I think back the words Romero wrote during the first Trump administration:

“A five-alarm fire is raging through the Latina/o immigrant community. Millions are impacted. And yet, relatively few outside of our community—and very few within the evangelical community—seem to care. In fact, through their xenophobic rhetoric many are intentionally stoking the flames without regard to the many lives being consumed.” (Robert Chao Romero, Brown Church: Five Centuries of Latina/o Social Justice, Theology, and Identity, p. 207)

To the ten lepers and his disciples, Jesus asks, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” It’s the same lesson as the good Samaritan. And it should challenge every Jesus follower to assess and reject whatever xenophobic bias we may hold.

Discussion Group Questions

1. Share something that spoke to you from this week’s podcast episode with your discussion group.

2. What ways are you mitigating the harm presently being done to migrant families? How could you do more? Share and discuss with your group.

3. What can you do this week, big or small, to continue setting in motion the work of shaping our world into a safe, compassionate, just home for everyone? 

Thanks for checking in with us, today.

I want to say a special thank you to all of our supporters out there. And if you would like to join them in supporting Renewed Heart Ministries’ work you can do so by going to renewedheartministries.com and clicking donate. 

My latest book Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political and Economic Teachings of the Gospels is available now on Amazon in paperback, Kindle and also on Audible in audio book format.

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Right where you are, keep living in love, choosing compassion, taking action, and working toward justice.

I love each of you dearly,

I’ll see you next week.

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New Episode of The Social Jesus Podcast

A podcast where we talk about the intersection of faith and social justice and what a first century, prophet of the poor from Galilee might have to offer us today in our work of love, compassion and justice. 

This week:

Season 2 Episode 41: The Ten Lepers and Christian Xenophobia

Luke 17:11-19

“The word for foreigner here is xeno, from which we get the word xenophobia. The scriptures are far from univocal about the foreigner, though, and this is why there is debate among Christians today. The scriptures are not going to force any of us to treat today’s migrants any particular way. We get to choose which portions of our sacred text we want to shape us here. Do we want to be the kind of humans who vote for and support mistreating migrants at the U.S. border, refusing asylum for those seeking protections, or placing children who have been separated from their parents into detention centers? Do you want to be that kind of person? Scripture will not give you much cover if you do. You may find verses that you can use to help support your biases, but there are also passages on the other side of the debate, as well. So what makes you choose one set of passages to follow over others, especially in light of the story of Jesus through which Christianity claims to interpret Scripture? However many passages one may find to justify the mistreatment of migrants today, we must all stand before Jesus’ words here.”

Available on all major podcast carriers and at:

https://the-social-jesus-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/the-ten-lepers-and-christian-xenophobia

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Finding Jesus: A Fundamentalist Preacher Discovers the Socio-Political & Economic Teachings of the Gospels.

 

by Herb Montgomery

Available now on Amazon!

In Finding Jesus, author Herb Montgomery delves into the profound and often overlooked political dimensions of the gospels. Through meticulous analysis of biblical texts, historical context, and social discourse, this thought-provoking book unveils the gospels’ socio-political, economic teachings as rooted in a profound concern for justice, compassion, and the well-being of the marginalized. The book navigates the intersections between faith and societal justice, presenting a compelling argument for a more socially engaged and transformative Christianity.

Finding Jesus is not just a scholarly exploration; it is a call to action. It challenges readers to reevaluate their understanding of Christianity’s role in public life and to consider how the radical teachings of the gospels can inspire a renewed commitment to justice, equality, and compassion. This book is a must-read for those seeking a deeper understanding of the social implications of Christian faith and a blueprint for building a more just and inclusive society.

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