LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2019, Page 247

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II. THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS­­—COMMISSION ON THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS
among us should not infringe upon our unity in Christ,
which is created and preserved by the Means of Grace.
We acknowledge that, among Lutherans who sincerely
want to show mercy to their immigrant neighbors and
obey the civil authorities, there can be a range of opinions concerning what is — and what is not — just and
best for the common good.
Read Eph. 4:1–6. How might we “maintain the unity
of the Spirit in the bond of peace” with regard to disagreements about immigrants and immigration laws?
Of course, our standing before God does not depend
on our fulfillment of the law. As Christians, we should
exercise our vocations with joy and responsibility in the
left-hand realm. We may disagree on left-hand issues,
and even criticize those (including brothers and sisters
in Christ) who hold positions in government, but we
should be careful about condemning Christians for
carrying out their vocations. We must not seek to use our
freedom in the Gospel to justify or promote irresponsible
opinions on this or that law. Instead, we should use our
freedom to serve others, for the good of our neighbors.

4: Who is My Neighbor?
“But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who
is my neighbor?’” (Luke 10:29).
Vocation is the calling God gives each of us to serve
our neighbor through the exercise of certain tasks and
responsibilities. In the context of our God-given vocation, or station in life, we have opportunities to fulfill
God’s command to love our neighbor as ourselves. We
typically have more than one vocation and, therefore,
more than one neighbor to attend to in this life.8 To have
such vocations is God’s created intent for us.
Read Gen. 2:5–9; 15–17; 21–22 and Gen. 3:17–19.
What vocations did Adam have? Did the fall into sin
change his vocations? Why or why not?
Work is an earthly means instituted by our Creator
through which He blesses, provides for, protects and sustains His creation. Martin Luther described such earthly
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Our vocations include our relationships, such as husband or wife,
father or mother, son or daughter, grandparent, aunt or uncle and so
on, as well as our daily work both in
outside of he home. Our
vocations may change over time as our relationships and circumstances
change.

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Commenting on Christ’s words “do not resist the
one who is evil” (Matt. 5:39), Martin Luther speaks of
“God’s kingdom inwardly and the kingdom of the world
outwardly”: “In the one case, you consider yourself and
what is yours; in the other, you consider your neighbor
and what is his. In what concerns you and yours, you
govern yourself by the gospel and suffer injustice toward
yourself as a true Christian; in what concerns the person
or property of others, you govern yourself according to
love and tolerate no injustice toward your neighbor.”14
As an individual Christian, for instance, you might turn
the other cheek privately and even suffer personally
some injustice. However, if you are called to a certain
office or vocation, you can no longer act individually,
but must now give priority to and come to the defense of
those neighbors you are called to defend in your office
and station. The law of God calls us to serve every single
neighbor — even our enemies — when the opportunity
arises (Luke 6:27–28). One cannot attempt to fulfill God’s
law in some abstract sense without some concrete neighbor in mind.
In his vocation as a border patrol agent, an officer is
bound to stop even the neediest neighbor from crossing
the border into the United States. In doing so, the border
patrol agent puts his office above his own personal or
private relationships to immigrant neighbors. Yet, as an
individual Christian, that same border agent may show
compassion to the immigrant who is coming illegally
into the United States, taking care of his basic needs for
food and shelter, protecting him from “coyotes” (smugglers) and others who might want to harm him. He may
also share the Gospel with immigrants — whether here
legally or illegally — in his neighborhood and serve their
needs through his congregation’s mercy programs in the
community.
Even though a husband and father knows that crossing the border without a proper visa is an illegal act, his
vocation as father may compel him to choose to cross
into the United States to find safety, work and peace for
his loved ones simply because he is bound to care for
those whom God has put in his life. What do you think
you would do in this situation? How might your response
change if the father comes alone? How would you respond
if the father brings his family?
14
Martin Luther, “Temporal Authority: To What Extent It Should Be
Obeyed,” Luther’s Works, ed. Walther I. Brandt, vol. 45 (Philadelphia:
Fortress, 1962), 96.

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Read 2 Cor. 9:8–11; Eph. 2:10 and Heb. 13:20–21.
What do these verses suggest about the ways in which God
is at work in and through us as we serve others in our
various vocations?
God instituted the church already from the beginning by creating our first parents to live in communion
with Him in the Garden. He restores His creatures to
communion with Himself through the life, death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ. God has provided the world
with the church, her ministers and individual members
to proclaim the Gospel of redemption in Christ and so
contribute to the spiritual well-being of many neighbors.
Read Luke 14:12–24. Jesus’ parable about the great
banquet is not speaking of immigrants, but of inviting
people into the kingdom of God through the proclamation
of the Gospel. Are there certain aspects of this parable,
however, that might address our response to immigrants?
Why or why not?
To be a created being means to have vocations and
neighbors for whom we care. But who is my neighbor?
My neighbor is anyone who needs my help, yet if everyone is my neighbor in general, the danger is that no one
will be my neighbor concretely. When speaking about
immigrants who are in the United States illegally, one
must remember that each person has a different story
and experience. Some are victims of trafficking. Some
do not have legal status due to violence and exploitation
by another party. Many entered the United States legally
but overstayed their visas for any number of reasons,
including family reunification issues, fear of persecution
or the desire to provide their children a more dignified
life. A number have come to this country to engage in
criminal acts. Immigration is not merely an issue about
law in some general sense, but about the individuals who
are our neighbors. Our callings, or our vocations, allow
us to put a human face on debates concerning immigration law, without providing easy answers about solutions
to challenging and complex situations.
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“What else is all our work to God — whether in the fields, in the garden, in the city, in the house, in war, or in government — but just such
a child’s performance, by which He wants to give His gifts in the fields,
at home, and everywhere else? These are the masks of God, behind
which He wants to remain concealed and do all things.” Martin Luther,
“Psalm 147,” Luther’s Works, ed. Jaroslav Pelikan, vol. 14 (St. Louis:
Concordia Publishing House, 1958), 114.

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4: Who is My Neighbor?

Israelites to do for these neighbors? What were the Israelites to remember about their own history?

IMMIGRANTS AMONG US

work as a “mask” behind which God Himself hides and
works and provides what we and others need to live.9
God gives the world workers and rulers of all kinds who,
through their labors, contribute to the well-being of
many neighbors.

Conclusion

How do the following ministries put “a
human face” on immigration debates? In
what concrete ways do they serve their
neighbors?
* [Rev. Doug] Wagley [of New Vision Lutheran Church in
Spokane, Wash.] said visitors are welcomed to the church
because their language has been incorporated into the
Divine Service. “We use Karen (and sometimes Burmese) as well as Vietnamese in our services. We have the
confessions and creeds and prayers from the catechism in
their language. We also do Scripture readings in various
languages,” said Wagley.10
* In addition to providing basic necessities and transition
assistance for newly arrived immigrants, the grant [for
Zion International in Milwaukee, Wis.] also has allowed
for much-needed maintenance on the church van that is
used to transport African immigrants to and from church
as well as to and from work, until they can earn enough
money to buy their own transportation.11
* Concerning Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care in
El Paso, Texas, a Cuban refugee says, “From the moment
I got here, it is like being at home … It’s like the people
have known you all your life. You don’t feel strange; you
don’t feel overprotected nor overvalued, they treat me with
respect and admiration, the way human beings should be
treated.”12
* In McAllen, Texas, the Upbring New Hope Children’s
Center, a Recognized Service Organization of The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, works with the U.S.
Office of Refugee Resettlement to provide emergency
shelter for undocumented children. During their stay
with Upbring, the physical and emotional health of the
children is assessed and they “live in a homelike setting
while receiving daily instruction and regular outdoor
recreational time” until they are reunited with a sponsor or
family member.13
Vocation allows us to argue boldly and persuasively
for our neighbors, encouraging us to take a stand for
Erik M. Lunsford, “Care for New Americans in the Church,” Lutherans Engage the World, Sept. 27, 2017, at engage.lcms.org/new-americans-fall-2017. Karen is a language spoken in Myanmar (formerly
known as Burma).

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11
Roger Drinnon, “Many People, But One Church,” Lutherans Engage
the World, Sept. 28, 2017, at engage.lcms.org/one-church-fall-2017.
12
Erik M. Lunsford, “Ministry in El Paso Extends Mercy to Cuban
Sojourners,” Lutherans Engage the World, Sept. 4, 2016, at engage.lcms.
org/ministry-to-cuban-sojourners-fall-2016.
13
Cheryl Magness, “Upbring: Caring for children — on the border and
worldwide,” Reporter, July/Aug. 2018, 3, at blogs.lcms.org/2018/upbringcaring-for-children-on-the-border-and-worldwide.

IMMIGRANTS AMONG US

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4: Who is My Neighbor?

Read Luke 3:10–14. John the Baptist does not tell tax
collectors or soldiers to abandon their vocations. How are
they to “bear fruits in keeping with repentance” as they
carry out those vocations?

forgiveness in Christ Jesus are necessary as we engage in
conversations about what is best for various neighbors
and attempt to better carry out our vocations for the sake
of these neighbors — including immigrants among us.

Lutheran theology leaves room for disagreement
among Christians on left-hand realm issues without disrupting unity in Christ. While Lutheran theology clearly
affirms the responsibility of Christians to obey the civil
authorities, it also leaves room for Christians to hold
various opinions about how best to ensure justice and
righteousness in specific aspects of immigration law.

For additional information, case studies and discussion questions, see Immigrants Among Us: A Lutheran
Framework for Addressing Immigration Issues (LCMS
Commission on Theology and Church Relations, 2012),
47–60 at lcms.org/Document.fdoc?src=lcm&id=2194.

247

the people whom we are to love and serve. For example,
the governor of a state might argue for tougher enforcement measures against immigrants who reside in the
state illegally to protect state residents against violence,
human trafficking and other crimes. In doing so, the
governor serves his or her neighbors, the citizens of the
state, by advocating for their safety and quality of life.
Border patrol agents fulfill their vocations by stopping
immigrants who want to cross into the United States
without a proper visa. This is the main duty through
which these agents promote national security on behalf
of the citizens of the nation who are their neighbors.
Since we are faced with many neighbors asking for our
attention, our specific vocations help us to define who are
our closest neighbors (those toward whom we bear the
greatest God-given responsibility), what neighbor’s needs
we should deal with first and how to do so.
Tension often arises as we wrestle with the obligation
to love our neighbor in everyday life. Even as we are
called to “do good to everyone,” we are also encouraged
to show special concern for “the household of faith”
(Gal. 6:10). Our Lord chided the Pharisees for a convoluted ethic that resulted in neglect of family members
in the name of other religious priorities (Mark 7:10–12).
Such references remind us that love for our neighbor
always involves particular individuals and that our Lord
expects love for our neighbor to begin with our families
and other neighbors who are closest to us.
Read Luke 10:25–37. How is the “neighbor” identified
in this parable? How might Jesus’ parable help us as we
seek to love and serve immigrants and our fellow citizens?
When the lawyer in the parable of the Good Samaritan asks, “Who is my neighbor?” he is attempting to
deflect attention away from himself to avoid the command to love. His question implies that there are some
people who are not his neighbor. But our Lord showed
in His ministry that no one is excluded from His love.
While no Christian can do good in equal measure to
every neighbor, we should never assume that God would
have us exclude anyone from the love of neighbor to
which we have been called.
A measure of conflict and uncertainty is inevitable in
a sinful world with so many competing issues calling for
our attention and so many types of neighbors calling for
our help. Our neighbors — in a good and real sense —
are our burdens and crosses to bear (Gal. 6:2).
Read Lev. 23:22 and Deut. 24:17–22. Who were the
“neighbors” living among the Israelites? What were the

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Read Lev. 25:23; 1 Peter 2:11–12 and Heb. 11:13–
16. Why are God’s people regarded as sojourners and
exiles?

Conclusion
In this discussion guide, the importance of keeping two
truths from God’s Word has been emphasized over and
over — and it should be. On the one hand, the Scriptures
of both the Old and the New Testaments proclaim the
truth that God’s children are to love their neighbor as
themselves. The neighbor will certainly include at times
people whom we might regard as strangers or foreigners,
as well as immigrants. On the other hand, God is the one
who has instituted the good gift of civil governments,
and His children are commanded to be subject to and
obey the authorities who rule over them — as long as
those authorities do not command us to break God’s
will as clearly expressed in the Scriptures. At all times,
Christians must hold fast to both of these truths, and
that is not an easy thing to do. This is one of the reasons
why sincere and faithful Christians may not always agree
on how best to carry out God’s will in relation to immigrants among us.
All of this reminds us of the struggle of the Christian
life in a fallen world. Our sin is ever before us (Ps. 51:3)
and our whole life is one of repentance. Forgiveness in
Christ is constantly needed both for our obvious sins and
for the times when we must choose what appears to be
“the lesser of two evils.” None of this shakes our confidence in God’s word of forgiveness, even as we seek to do
better. We often fail to help our neighbor and we do not
fulfill all that the law demands of us. We all sin in various
ways as we seek to fulfill our vocations. Repentance and
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Conclusion

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2019 Convention Workbook