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The following article was originally published in the Catholics for Israel
newsletter of October 2009.
Why Don't (Most) Jews Believe in Jesus?
I
have recently returned to Jerusalem after an absence of seven months
during
which I was in Rome, in Steubenville (Ohio), and in my native Canada.
During the time that I was abroad, I had many
conversations with
Catholic friends about Judaism. To many Catholics it seems
incredible that most Jews still "don't get it" that the Messiah has
come. After all, this is the Chosen People of the covenant, elected by
God to be His witnesses to the world, and they have missed the fact
that the Messiah already came 2,000 years ago. This is really
an
astounding fact. Conversely, it also happens that Jewish
friends honestly express to me their dismay at why anyone in his right
mind would believe in
Christianity. This shows that even in the era of instant
information and internet
there still remains an abyss in mutual understanding between
Jews
and
Christians.
To illustrate with one example, on the plane back to Tel Aviv
I sat next to
an orthodox Jewish man. We hadn't even left the ground when,
upon
learning about what I do, he stated that "the biggest mistake that
Christians ever did was to come up with the idea of the Trinity."
This, according to him, had wrecked any possibility of Jews
and
Christians ever
coming together because "Jews believe in the absolute unity of God, not
in a God who is 'divided into three parts'." It helped little
when I tried to explain that actually we Christians also believe in the
oneness of God, that we can wholeheartedly pray the "Shema Israel"
together with Jews, and that actually the Trinity does not mean that
God is "divided in three parts." I also tried to explain that
Christians were not the ones who "came up with the idea" but that we
believed God
Himself had revealed it, and that there are actually many
traces of the
plurality of God in the Hebrew Scriptures and Jewish tradition. I'm not
sure how much effect this had on him, but the conversation
certainly
impressed upon me that I was returning to a very different world than
the ecclesiastical circles of Rome.
On the Catholics
for Israel website we provide many articles and
resources (chiefly
addressed to our Jewish friends) showing the foundations of the
Catholic
faith in the Hebrew Scriptures and in Jewish tradition - for
example, the reasons why we think that Jesus is the Messiah
of Israel, how the One God of Israel has revealed
Himself as a communion
of three Persons, and how the Messiah founded
a Church that is one,
holy, catholic, and apostolic.
The present reflection, by contrast, is addressed to
Christians who wish to better understand the rationale for the Jewish
rejection of Jesus and the Church and try to see the perspective from
the "other side." For more
profitable reading, you may want to pause for a moment
and first draw up a mental (or written) list of what you think might be
obstacles or hindrances keeping Jews away from the Gospel. My
own subjective list below is based on my ten years of experience living
in Israel and on
countless conversations about faith that I have had with Jewish
friends, acquaintances and strangers - from Israeli university students to my orthodox Jewish neighbors.
I don't claim to be exhaustive in this task, and I welcome your
thoughts,
suggestions and corrections.
Before I begin, I should make one important
distinction: It seems to me that the reasons for the Jewish rejection
of Jesus and the Church can be placed in three broad categories. Two of
these are mostly or entirely out of our (Christians') control and
belong to the realm of Divine Providence and the working of the Holy
Spirit. These obviously are beyond my field of competence and I will
say
little about them. The third category consists of more
tangible things upon which we
Christians could make a real difference.
The three categories are:
- The Mystery of God's Plan of Salvation and Providence
- Israel's Blindness and the Mystery of Iniquity
- Historical, Cultural, and Theological issues.
1. The Mystery of God's Plan of Salvation and Providence
By the mystery of God's Providence, Israel's rejection of the
Messiah became the occasion of salvation for the nations of the world.
When the majority of the Chosen People rejected Jesus' Messianic
claims, this prompted the apostles to turn to the Gentiles and spread
the Gospel message to non-Jews, as foretold by the prophet Hosea: "in
the very place where it was said to them, `You are not my people,'
they will be called `sons of the living God.'" (Hos 1:10;
Rom 9:26). It was thus precisely "through their
trespass" that salvation came to the Gentiles, "so as to make
Israel jealous" (Rom 11:11). This was not a wholesale
rejection of Israel on God's part (cf. Rom 11:1-2), but only a
temporary setback that served a specific purpose and will one
day come to
an end: For "blindness in
part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come
in. And so all Israel will be saved" (Rom 11:25-26;
cf. CCC 674). The Jews' temporary rejection of the Gospel became a
blessing for the world, and their acceptance will be an even greater
global blessing: "if their trespass is riches for the world,
and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their
fullness!" (Rom 11:12)
2. Israel's Blindness and the Mystery of Iniquity
Nonetheless, Jesus wept over Jerusalem's rejection of Him (Lk
13:34; 19:41) and Paul agonized over it (Rom 9:1-3). And so it cannot
be said that the Jews' non-acceptance
of the Gospel was God's positive will. It was merely
His permissive will - which by His Providence He turned into a blessing
for the world. Still, the Jewish rejection of Jesus was and
remains a tragedy and denial of God's salvific purpose for His people.
Without a doubt, one cannot blame God's
mysterious plan of salvation (point 1 above) or external circumstances
(point 3 below) alone to fully justify their rejection of the Gospel.
There
is also the element of personal responsibility and sin. Beneath the
veneer of every reason and excuse trying to justify a refusal to
acknowledge
the Messiah, there are no doubt dark reasons within the human heart,
rooted in the fallenness of human nature and in the deep seated pride
and rebellion against God that has accompanied humanity since the
expulsion from Eden.
But Christians must be extremely cautious with this point. For
the
history of Jewish-Christian relations is littered with the
memory of Christians pointing the finger at Jews and blaming their
stubbornness or what not for having rejected the Messiah. As
Christians, we are challenged to suspend judgment and look first at the
beam in our own eye before pointing out the speck in Jewish eyes. The
secret dark reasons for the Jewish rejection of the Messiah -
though they surely exist - are something with which they must grapple
in
their own conscience. It is between them and God. The job of Christians
is not to judge but to love, by making the Gospel shine through the
witness of
their lives so at to make the Jews "jealous" and desirous to taste the
goodness of the Kingdom of God (although certainly an
effective
witness of the Gospel must sometimes involve gently pointing out the
reality of human sin and the need of each person for the Redeemer).
3. Historical, Cultural and Theological Reasons for
the Jewish Rejection of the Gospel
Beyond the aspects of God's mysterious plan and the resistance
of
human sin, there are also very concrete things that have historically
contributed
to the Jewish rejection of Jesus. Here are some of the main
reasons that come to my mind. Obviously, there are myriad
reasons
that apply to every human person as to why they might not be a disciple
of Jesus, such as simple ignorance of the Gospel
message, cultural
obstacles, negative experiences with Christians, inability to believe
because of the influence of secularism, or resistance to the
Gospel's high ethical demands because ofhuman pride and selfishness.
While not underestimating these factors, here I will focus
exclusively on reasons that are particular to Jews.
1) The History
of Christian
Anti-Semitism
Jews have been deeply hurt by centuries of Christian
anti-Semitism, which has given them a "thick skin" and natural
resistance to anything having to do with Christianity. Most
know Christianity as the religion of crusades, inquisition,
discrimination and humiliations, forced sermons and baptisms,
expulsions, pogroms and even of the Holocaust. Though this
view of history is certainly not always fair or balanced (such as the
blaming of the Holocaust on Christianity), an impartial examination of
the history of Jewish-Christian relations shows that there is much
truth to it. Thankfully the situation in this respect has
enormously improved today - but this does not necessarily mean that
all
the wounds of the past have been healed, or that one does not still
encounter uncharitable expressions of arrogance directed by Christians
towards the Jewish people.
2) Replacement Theology
(Supercessionism)
Christians have often taught throughout history that because
the
Jews rejected Jesus, God rejected them and replaced Israel by the
Church. This idea is often the theological foundation for Christian
anti-Semitism. Since
the Old Testament clearly states that God's election and enduring
covenantal love for Israel is
permanent and irrevocable, one can understand why Jews would
resist the claims
of a
Christianity which teaches that God has divorced His original bride.
Fortunately the Catholic
Church and many other Christian groups now officially reject
supercessionism, but the idea is still held by large numbers of
Christians (including Catholics). See What
is Replacement Theology?
3) Rich Jewish Culture and Suppression of Jewish
Identity in the Church
Judaism
is a very rich and beautiful religion in its faith, prayers, feasts,
traditions and customs. Most Jews, whether religious or not, view
Judaism as the very fabric of their identity. By contrast, though the
Catholic faith is
theologically well rooted in Judaism, it has developed ways of
expression that are very "Gentile." [The same could be said for
evangelical Christianity: though some evangelical groups now make an
effort to integrate more Jewish elements into their worship, their
theology is even further removed from Judaism than Catholicism (more here).]
There is nothing wrong with
a "Gentile" expression of Catholicism, since this is part of
the inculturation of the faith - adapting Christianity to the different
cultures of the world. But Jews often feel
estranged when they walk into a Church and see things
like statues
and icons, priestly vestments or friars' habits, the sun-like
monstrance, etc...
The situation used to be much worse. In the past,
Christians
purposefully suppressed all expressions of Jewish identity in the
Church (and some continue to advocate this today; see A
Response to Robert Sungenis).
At times, Jews who converted were compelled to eat pork or to work on
the Sabbath, and were forbidden to celebrate any of the Jewish feasts.
Since these pillars of Jewish faith and identity were all
given to Israel
by God as binding commandments, it is no wonder that Jews could not and
still cannot accept the claims of a religion which claims to have
abrogated these things for them. Today, the Church and many Christians
are much more respectful and appreciative of Jewish customs,
recognizing that these do not compete with but rather enrich the
Christian faith. But it still remains difficult for
Jewish-Catholics to live and express their Jewish heritage and culture
within the Church. The challenge today is to develop ways to
facilitate a rediscovery of the Jewish expression in the Church,
particularly in places where there are groups and communities of
Jewish-Christians.
4) Negative Christian Attitudes towards the Torah
Related
to the last point, many
Christians still tend to pit the Law against the Gospel, as if the
Torah were
but a heavy, legalistic burden from which Christ has come to release
us.
Actually, orthodox Jews see the Torah as a way of devotion to
God
and its observance is a great source of joy. Even Paul, often
falsely portrayed as an opponent of the Law, reminds us that "the law
is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good"
(Rom 7:12).
True, there is
always the danger of falling into pharisaism and of giving
meticulous attention to minutia at the expense of justice and
mercy (cf. Mt 23:23) - but this danger exists in every religion
(including Catholicism and all forms of Christianity) and not only in
Judaism. Christians easily forget that Jesus came not to
abolish
but to fulfill the law (Mt 5:17). In practice, this means that
although Torah-observance is not to be imposed on Gentile Christians,
neither does it mean that Jewish-Christians must be forced to abandon
things like the celebration of Shabbat and Passover or eating kosher
food (cf. Acts 15, Torah
and Gospel, and A
Response to Robert Sungenis). The words of Jewish
author David Klinghoffer are a challenge to the Church today:
“No
authentic Messiah would inspire a religion that ended up calling upon
the Jews to reject the manifest meaning of Sinai. It is really that
simple.” (David Klinghoffer, Why the Jews Rejected Jesus, p. 215)
5) Lack of Christian
Repentance for Sins of the Past
Most Christians, through no fault of their own, are largely
unaware
of the
history of Christian anti-Semitism, of the error of replacement
theology, or of the suppression of Jewish identity in the Church.
Though the situation has greatly improved, most Jews have
still never
heard a
heartfelt apology or expression of regret on the part of any Christian
for the difficult past of Jewish-Christian relations.
Fortunately, this is slowly changing with more and more
Christians taking it at heart to work towards healing this wound and
take on the
responsibility of identificational repentance (i.e. repenting for the
sins
of our fathers even though we are not personally guilty for them).
In my experience such humble action on the part of
Christians has been the most powerful catalyst in advancing
Jewish-Christian reconciliation.
6) Social Pressure and Fear
Most Jews who come to faith in
Jesus today must still face incredible hardship, ostracization and
sometimes persecution from their own Jewish families and communities.
No doubt, this works as a powerful deterrent, making many
Jews
hesitant or unwilling to honestly look into the claims of the
Messiahship of Jesus.
7) Theological Difficulties and Misunderstandings
Though
most of the reasons I have listed so far for the rejection of Jesus are
socio-historical, the theological aspect should not be underestimated.
While Second Temple Judaism had prepared the way for the Christian
faith, later medieval Judaism often purposefully developed in
opposition to
Christianity, for example by over-emphasizing the absolute singular
unity of God (as opposed to Trinitarian faith), or the fact that the
Messiah will be a mere man and in no way divine. Another
major issue, just as relevant today as it was in New Testament times,
is the
belief that the Messiah should bring peace on earth and physically
redeem Israel, restoring it to a glorious state similar to the Davidic
and Solomonic kingdom. According to this belief, Jesus could
not have been the Messiah because he did not at all bring peace on
earth. On the contrary, since he came there have been just as
many wars as there were previously, with an increase of sorrows for
Israel and for the Jewish people.
We address these theological difficulties
and many others on our website.
8) Dual-Covenant Theology
Sometimes,
behind the lack of Christian interest for the salvation of Israel lurks
a pernicious false doctrine that has infiltrated the Church in the last
generation through a few influential figures and has practically
paralyzed the mission of the Church in some circles. This is
the
error of dual-covenant
theology,
which teaches that Jews are already saved through their covenant with
God and therefore do not need Jesus or the New Covenant.
Though
it true that Jews can
be saved without explicitly knowing the Messiah or His Church
if, through no fault of their own, they seek God with a sincere heart
and try to do His will to the best of
their ability (CCC 846-47), it remains that "Church and Judaism cannot
then be seen as two parallel ways of salvation and the Church must
witness to Christ as the Redeemer for all." (Notes on the Correct Way to Present
the Jews and Judaism in Preaching and Catechesis in the Roman Catholic
Church I. 7, Vatican Commission for Religious
Relations with the Jews, 1985).
9) Christian Apathy and Lukewarm Catholics
Many
Catholics are ill-equipped to explain their faith coherently, much less
to explain the Jewish roots of Catholic doctrines. Others are
intimidated by the task or not even interested in doing so. Others have
been influenced by dual-covenant theology or have
given in
to the demands of political correctness, thinking that it is
inappropriate to pray that Jews would come to faith in Jesus or shying
away from witnessing their faith to them. How often
does one
hear
prayers for the salvation of Israel during the intercessions of the
faithful at Mass? How often do you bring this intention before the Lord
in your own private prayers? The Epistle of James reminds us: "you do
not have because you do not ask." (Jam 4:1). The
question
must be asked
how many Catholics are inspired by the apostle's "great sorrow and
unceasing anguish in [his] heart" and willingness to be "accursed and
cut off from Christ for the sake of [his] brethren," the Jews. One of
the greatest stumbling blocks that has always kept people away from the
faith has been that Christians have not loved enough. How
much do we care or pray that the veil be lifted from the eyes
of
the Chosen People that they may recognize their Messiah, not forgetting
that this moment will be like "life from the dead" (Rom 11:15) for the
entire world?
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