Isaiah insists that God desires the opposite. Israel was called to distinguish itself by its embrace of “the foreigner and the eunuch”. In chapter 58 we have the memorable declaration that God “hates” the burnt offerings of these so-called righteous
priests, and instead expects his people to care for the widow, the orphan and the stranger.
Our passage today is part of a section of Scripture that is equally provocative: foreigners will be “[brought] to my holy mountain … their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar” (emphasis added).
God’s temple, far from being the preserve only of ‘pure’ Israelites, “will be called a house of prayer for all nations” – a phrase repeated by Jesus after his protest action in the Temple. We see this same argument over national and religious identity, this battle of
defining who is allowed in and who is out, playing out even to this day.
Question: Are our doors (and hearts) open or closed to foreigners seeking safety and a new life here? Are we made less or more complete by their presence?
Prayer: Dear God, you constantly stretch us with your expansive vision for a reconciled humanity. Forgive us when we fail to trust in your plan for us, and retreat into boundary-setting. Amen.
We are reading the Bible with Justin Whelan until 16 June.