Skip to main content

The IDP of IDPs


He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 

According to the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, internally displaced persons (also known as "IDPs") are "persons or groups of persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural or human-made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized border." (The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

See if the person above fits that definition:

He was often homeless in the later part of his life.

He was despised and rejected.

As a teacher of the things of God, he was hated by the religious establishment leaders.

He was told he was demon possessed.

He had so many followers that the religious leaders, out of envy and jealousy, delivered him up for a sham trial.

False witness testified against him during the trial.

During his trial, some of the governing authorities treated him with contempt and even subjected him to beatings.

While he was innocent, he was given the death sentence.

On an annual day of amnesty, given an opportunity to have him released, the religious leaders asked for a known criminal to be released instead of this innocent man.

The manner of his execution was very public and very humiliating.

During his execution, many of his own people scoffed at him and hurled insults at him.

Sure seems like a possible good fit to the definition!  But, he did cross some borders and, as such, he actually does not fully meet it.  Yet, it still could be argued that he was one of the most Internally Displaced Persons in the history of the world, if not the most!   And most interestingly, this man voluntarily submitted himself to all those obvious violations of human rights.

What about the borders that he crossed?

He left heaven to walk this earth.  The One who dwelt in eternity entered our dimension of time.  The infinite God put on the constraints of human flesh. 

Ironically, He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him (John 1:10).  And yet, his displacement while on this earth put him exactly where we needed him most. 

He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him (John 1:11).   But to those who do receive him, who believed in his name (this Jesus, this IDP) he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12).  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Little Words, Big Impact

Sometimes we get caught up in the big words and that certainly has its place.   But, sometimes I think I appreciate the little words even more.   These are one or two or three letters words that can have big meaning and big impact. Take the word “I”.   It is a pronoun that often is used to identify the one who might be communicating.   The communication could be something like “I love you” or “I forgive you” or “I will do that.”   Meaning and impact from a word with just one letter! Take the word “no”.   It can put a stop to things. For example, you could have what you think is a really great idea but if you receive a no, your great idea comes to a screeching halt.   Meaning and impact from a word with just two letters! Take the word “yes”.   It can set things in motion.   For example, perhaps you are in love with that certain special person and you ask that question and they say yes.   Big things are set into motion and yo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Double Entendre

Double entendre:   a word or expression used so that it can be understood in two ways.   For example: Seriously struggle with sin : 1.   Some people seriously struggle with sin.   That is, they see how easily sin entangles and they take their struggle with sin seriously and overcome it. 2.   Some people seriously struggle with sin.   That is, sin easily entangles them and they have serious struggles with sin and they never seem to overcome it. The example is not just theoretical, it is real.   And it is likely that many of us have experienced both over the course of our lives.   But whatever you have experienced, I have some more double entendres that follow a bad news/good news format: 1.   Sin is costly .   The cost is spiritual death.   But we have a Savior who paid the cost with His own life so that we can live spiritually. 2.   Sin has consequences . The consequence of sin is eternal separatio...
Post a Comment
Read more

Flee From/Flee To

If you are going to flee, do it right! What?   Give me a chance to explain! But first, let’s land on what it might mean to flee.   To flee is to run away from a place or situation of danger or evil.   It also means to hurry toward a place of safety. So, here are some possible explanations: 1.   Flee when God tells you: Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt , and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”  (Matt 2:13)   2.   But don’t try to flee from God: But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord . He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord .  (Jonah 1:3)     3.   Flee from danger: For they have fled from the ...
Post a Comment
Read more