Antisemitism
Be Honest and Kind to Jewish People
Dear friend in the Messiah,
Shalom from New York City. I thank you for your faithful prayers and support. We are constantly amazed at the good things the Lord is doing among His chosen people!
This issue of the newsletter is all about one of my least favorite topics—antisemitism—and how it has driven Jewish people away from the Gospel. But as hard as it is to face this painful reality, there are valuable lessons to be learned that can make us more prayerful and effective ambassadors of the life-giving message of the Gospel.
Let me explain by telling you a story about a conversation I had with my grandparents. My father and I were visiting his parents at their apartment in Coney Island, Brooklyn. While we were enjoying bowls of chicken soup and matzoh balls, we were engaged in a deep theological discussion. That table was the scene of many discussions like these. My dear grandparents were trying to figure out why I believed in Jesus and not Moses or Marx.
I finally had the chance to get a word in and asked a question. I said, “Dad does not believe in God and, like Grandpa, he never attends synagogue yet he still says that he is Jewish. I, on the other hand, believe in the God of our fathers, learned Hebrew, married a Jewish girl and believe that Jesus is the Messiah. Which one of us is the better Jew?” My grandmother did not hesitate to respond. “Your father,” she replied. And I daresay she spoke for the majority of the Jewish community!
What was she really saying? My grandmother, like most Jewish people, understood that being Jewish is more a matter of community identity than religious faith and that a person could remain part of the community as long as certain lines were not crossed. However, if you did cross one of these unseen lines, you could easily cross right out of being Jewish altogether.
In the Jewish mindset, believing in Jesus is one of those lines. Once you cross over, there is no return, save the renunciation of your faith.
Unbelief in Jesus Is Part of Jewish Identity
As a minority in a predominantly Christian culture, Jewish unbelief in Jesus has become a part of our upbringing, especially in America. Jewish people like myself are raised knowing that Jesus is not for the Jews.
Therefore, your Jewish friends will be resistant to even listening to the Gospel because they fear both family and community rejection. Theological objections to Jesus are secondary! And unfortunately, evangelism is viewed as a threat and even as a form of antisemitism.
Yet, we know the Lord is able to open the hearts of Jewish people. I know this is possible from first-hand experience, as I stepped over that line in November 1970 and discovered, to my great surprise, that I was still Jewish!
The Jewish Community Views Christianity as a Threat
The Jewish community generally views Christianity as a threat because of the long history of “Christian” antisemitism. You will find out more about this in this newsletter as well as learn of the opportunities true believers have to combat this truly evil presence.
In his excellent book, Faith or Fear (1997), Eliot Abrams, a senior fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), argues that Jewish people should not fear Christians, as most evangelicals support Israel and have a concern for more traditional values. He writes,
Evangelical activities are not inherently anti-Semitic; any more than Jewish efforts to convert Christians are inherently the mark of bigotry or a deprecation of Christianity. What determines whether evangelizing is anti-Semitic is what is underlying it—and Christian attitudes toward Judaism have changed enormously in the last few decades (Abrams, p. 58-59).
And yet, the average Jewish person still feels threatened by Christianity.
This is easy to understand when viewed in light of the troubled history of Jewish-Christian relations. Solomon Grayzel, a Jewish historian with an acrid pen, writes, “The history of Judaism and Christianity is written in blood and punctuated in violence.”
Even in our secular culture, there is still an ingrained fear among Jewish people that Christianity will dominate the public sector, that the religious freedoms of the Jews will be curtailed, that the line between church and state will become blurred, and Jews will ultimately be persecuted, as was often the case in Medieval Europe.
Somehow the Church has to show the Jewish community that Jesus is “Jewish-friendly” and that Christian involvement in the public sector does not guarantee future anguish for the Jews. In fact, there is a greater similarity of values true Christians hold in common with the Jewish community—love of fellow man, the preservation of basic freedoms and even a concern for the preservation of the Jewish people. These bridges of understanding will create a climate for a more powerful and effective witness by Christians for the Lord.
Abrams addresses this issue as well, and his comments give me some hope that there might be some improvement in the days ahead. He writes,
It is unreasonable for Jews to demand of Christians that they abandon a central tenet of their faith, which calls for evangelizing—for spreading the gospel to the world. Indeed, from the Jewish perspective, Christian evangelizing has brought knowledge of the Hebrew Bible and Ten Commandments to millions never reached by Judaism. But, the rejection of Jews and Judaism that usually accompanied efforts to spread the gospel has meant disaster for the Jews. If today, Christian churches have abandoned their traditional contempt for Judaism, perhaps the wish to spread the gospel will not be attended in the future by episodes of anti-Semitic talk and activities.
What Can You Do?
The most effective way for you to remain faithful to your calling as a witness to Jewish people for the Gospel is to be honest and kind, helping your Jewish friends understand that it is your duty as a believer to share the Good News with them and that it flows from a heart of love, not out of religious contempt or superiority. You can also introduce Jewish friends who are interested in Jesus to another Messianic Jew, or take them to visit a Messianic congregation so that they understand from the start that embracing Jesus will not deprive them of their Jewish identity.
Holocaust Memorial Tour
We are getting ready for what I hope will be a very moving and meaningful trip in June. A number of Chosen People Ministries’ friends, prayer partners and supporters will be traveling to Germany and Poland on our first Chosen People Ministries Holocaust Memorial Tour. The purpose for the trip goes far beyond education and information. It is also intended to help those who support and pray for Chosen People Ministries to better understand the background behind the reasons why most Jewish people do not believe in Jesus. I am hoping that those who travel with us will better understand the resistance our missionaries and staff workers around the world face every day in their ministry among Jewish people.
By the way, although we only have a few slots left, please feel free to call 212–223–2252 and speak to Jennifer to see if there is still room for you to go on the trip. You can also visitchosenpeople.com/memorialtour for more information. I know that it is going to be life-changing because my wife and I did the same trip a couple of years ago. The trip made a huge impact on our lives — and I know it would do the same for you.
Enjoy the newsletter and remember to pray for Your Mission to the Jewish People!
In Him,
Mitch
Chosen People Ministries