As Christians, how should we regard and relate to Jewish people? And how should we view the Jewish State, the State of Israel? This is a reflection having wrestled with these issues, so I offer my thoughts for your consideration. I have sought to hear God’s Word through the readings from Romans and Matthew.
In the past, unfortunately, the Church and Christians have often been antisemitic. The Jews were seen as largely rejecting Jesus Christ and Jewish leaders instigated his crucifixion. Jews were viewed negatively. The Christian church was often regarded as having replaced the Jews as God’s people.
A Jew’s Sorrow for His Own
The first followers of Jesus were nearly all Jewish. While looking to Jesus as the Messiah, they continued their Jewish practices. When Gentiles responded to the gospel preached by Paul and others, there emerged some tension in the nascent Christian community about how Gentile believers should live. The Council of Jerusalem reported in Acts 15 resolved that Gentile believers did not have to adopt Jewish practices, such as circumcision, kosher dietary laws, and keeping the Sabbath. Christian worship was on Sunday, the day of Jesus’ resurrection. Faith in Jesus and baptism signified joining the Christian community. Race, ethnicity, being Jewish did not matter. All could be children of Abraham by faith as Paul taught.
In Galatians Paul goes so far as to say, “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for you are all one in Christ: (Gal 3:28). Racial, economic and gender differences do not matter. All are equal in Christ. He goes on to say, “And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise” (Gal 3:29). The ancient promises to Abraham and his descendants apply to all who put their faith in Jesus Christ. We can all know that we are God’s people. God will be our God and we will be God’s people. We can be heirs of the kingdom of God announced by Jesus.
Nevertheless, Paul was uneasy about his own people, the people of first century Israel and Jews living in the diaspora. He longed for them to respond to the gospel and recognise that Jesus was indeed the Messiah many had waited for. While he regarded himself as especially the apostle to the Gentiles that did not diminish his concern for his own Jewish people. In Romans 9 he speaks of his great sorrow and unceasing anguish for his own people. Paul even says he wishes he were cut off from Christ for the sake of his own people, his kindred according to the flesh. Paul is very conscious that God specially chose Israel to be God’s people. They were meant to live according to the covenant they had with God. They had the patriarchs, the giving of the law to Moses, forms of worship and promises made by God. From them did come the Messiah, namely Jesus Christ.
Jesus and the Fate of Jerusalem
The reading from Matthew 14 is about the feeding of the 5,000. Just prior to this event Jesus had heard the terrible news that John the Baptist had been beheaded by King Herod, the Jewish king. Jesus’ initial reaction was to withdraw in a boat to a deserted place by himself. He was in grief. But then the crowds found him and he had compassion on them. He no doubt taught as well as healed the sick. Then as evening was coming on, he called his disciples to feed the crowd. They only had five loaves and two fish. Jesus ordered the crowds to sit, then he offered a blessing. Amazingly all had their fill with much left over. More than five thousand were fed.
The background is important. Jesus knew that Jewish rulers had the authority to kill prophets. John the Baptist was not alone. Jesus would have been conscious that his time would come also. The Israelites may have regarded themselves as God’s people but their history was one of frequent betrayal of God and God’s covenant. Prophets who sought to lead people back to God were often mistreated and even killed.
Jesus longed for his own people to respond to him and his message of the reign of God. It was a crisis time and many wanted to rebel against Roman authority and become an independent nation again. Jesus was aware of the coming catastrophe if the people chose the way of rebellion rather than the peaceful way he offered. Luke tells us that Jesus wept over Jerusalem, saying, “If you, even you, had only recognised on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Indeed, the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side. They will crush you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave within you one stone upon another, because you did not recognise the time of your visitation from God” (Luke 19:42-44).
The ancient prophets warned of the dangers represented by the Assyrians and Babylonians who carried people into exile. They regarded the outcome as God’s judgment on the people for failing to live out the covenant. Now Jesus warned of the coming fall of Jerusalem if he was not heeded. The destruction came in 70CE. The magnificent temple was destroyed, the city devastated, the rebellion violently put down. Further rebellions led to the Romans banishing Jews from Jerusalem and the land which lasted until after the Second World War.
From Abraham to the Modern State
Let me sketch Israel’s history so that we know the background to where we are today.
The region known as Canaan or the Holy Land has had human settlement for some 10,000 years. Abraham and his people came to Palestine around 1900 BC. They then went to Egypt during famine and later became enslaved there. About 1250 BC Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, known as the Exodus. They wandered in the wilderness for some 40 years during which time Moses received the Law on Mount Sinai. Moses had to organise the people who had been slaves into a functioning community. Joshua led the invasion of Canaan around 1210 BC. Israel was at this time a loose confederation of tribes and leadership exercised by figures known as Judges. The people then wanted a king and Saul became the first king followed by David who ruled for 40 years. He established Jerusalem as the capital about 1,000 BC. His son Solomon built the First Temple.
The nation then divided into north and south. Prophets called the people back to God and the covenant with God. The northern kingdom was conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BC. The southern kingdom was able to continue until 586 BC when Jerusalem was conquered by the Babylonians and the temple destroyed. The leaders and many people were taken into exile in Babylon. They were allowed to live as an ethnic community there. The prophets had warned the people and regarded the outcome as God’s judgment on them. The Persians under Cyrus then defeated the Babylonians in 539 BC and allowed Jews to return from exile to Jerusalem. The city and temple were gradually rebuilt, namely after nearly 50 years of exile. Many chose not to return.
The region then came under Hellenistic control following Alexander the Great’s conquest in 332 BC. The Maccabean Revolt led to a brief period of Jewish independence from 166 to 63 BC. Roman conquest followed. Palestine was ruled by puppet kings appointed by Rome. Herod the Great ruled for 40 years and greatly expanded the Second Temple.
The Jewish rebellions of the first and second centuries CE resulted in widespread destruction by the Roman forces and Jews being banned from Palestine. Subsequent centuries saw many contested wars and conquests by different groups. Jews lived in many countries.
The late 19th century saw the rise of Zionism, a movement advocating for a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Following the First World War Britain assumed control over Palestine under the British Mandate supporting the establishment of a Jewish state. Following the Second World War and in light of the Holocaust in which 6 million Jews died, Britain and the USA promoted the establishment of the State of Israel which took place in May 1948. In doing so they displaced Palestinians who had been living there for many generations. The Palestinian term for when Israel was established is “Nakba” meaning catastrophe or catastrophic loss. Neighbouring Arab states, including Egypt, Jordon, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, invaded immediately initiating the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Israel emerged victorious and expanded its territory beyond the UN partition. Palestinians have continually lost land and rights due to the creation of Israel. Israeli settlers have encroached on Palestinian land ever since with over 200 illegal settlements established.
Israel has experienced multiple wars and military operations since its founding. Notable conflicts include the 1956 Sinai Campaign, the 1967 Six-Day War and the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Israel also engaged in military operations in Lebanon in 1982 and 2006. Israel has superior weapons, including nuclear weapons. Financially, militarily and in other ways, the USA backs Israel.
Hamas instigated a surprise raid on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in over 1,200 Israeli deaths and hostages taken. In retaliation, Israel has attacked Gaza and killed over 70,000 people, including 20,000 children, in acts of genocide. It also restricted aid coming to desperate people in Gaza. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant in November 2024 for Netanyahu for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Israel Today: State, Not Synonym
We need to distinguish between the State of Israel and Jews, the majority of whom live outside Israel. While Netanyahu calls any criticism of Israeli actions as antisemitism, we can distinguish between what Israel does as a state which deserves criticism and anti-Jewish sentiment which is wrong. Unfortunately, the two are seen by some as related. The Bondi terror attacks on Sydney Jews would most likely not have taken place had Israel not acted so ruthlessly toward Palestinians. It amazes me that Jewish people recall the Holocaust of WW2, yet the State of Israel can act like Germany in the way it has treated Palestinians for a long time.
How, Then, Shall We Respond?
What then is an appropriate Christian response to Jewish people and the State of Israel?
First, in relation to Jewish people, we can appreciate Jewish people and recognise that our Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible for Jews, is an important part of our Bible. Jesus was a Jew who came out of the history and tradition of the Jews of his day. The early Christians scrutinised the Hebrew scriptures in order to understand Jesus. They held that these scriptures pointed to Christ and helped to explain what God was doing through Jesus Christ. The Old Testament continues to be a rich resource for us with its creation stories, its history of God’s dealings with the ancient Israelites, the Psalms with their honest crying out to God, the prophets and their concern for justice and living according to God’s commands. While we read the Old Testament in the light of Christ, which sometimes challenges some of what it says, it continues to be a foundational document for Christians.
As a result of God’s dealings with the ancient Israelites, Jewish people have a particular relationship with God. In God’s call of Abraham, God said he would bless Abraham and in him all the families of the earth will be blessed (Genesis 12:2-3). The Christian Church has not simply superseded the Jews as God’s people. God’s promise remains. However, in order to be that blessing, Jewish people do need to live according to the way God has shown them. Otherwise, God’s judgment will come, as it has in the past. The same applies to the Christian Church. Like ancient Israel, its history has its dark side which needs repentance. The Church and Christians can only be a blessing if they are true to the way of Jesus Christ. That means demonstrating his love and concern for all people, especially the least.
Hence, we can foster positive relationships with Jewish people and learn from one another as we dialogue, share and live together in this nation of Australia. One of my best high school friends was a Jew. He became a doctor. I saw him some years ago at a school reunion. It was good to catch up.
There is no place for antisemitism. Similarly, there is no place for being anti-Muslim, or opposed to any other group in our multicultural society. That includes those who identify as part of the LGBTQI+ community. We do not have to agree with others fully to accept them and treat them with respect, dignity and compassion. Jesus calls us to love one another as he loved. In the account of the feeding of the 5,000 Jesus responded to the many people who sought him out. He healed and taught and then fed them with no conditions attached. We are to do likewise. That is the approach of PCUC with Meals Plus etc.
Second, we can be critical of the State of Israel for its actions. The Hamas raid in October 2023 was terrible. The response of the State of Israel has been to use that to justify its excessive retaliatory actions. It has wanted ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Palestine. That includes Palestinian Christians. The UN has long sought a two-state solution. Australia has affirmed that. What is required is a willingness on the part of both sides to negotiate and find a way forward to achieve lasting peace. It will only come when there are mutual respect and a willingness to compromise for the good of all in the region. A major part of the difficulty is the USA’s uncritical backing of Israel. The mistaken ideology of Zionism whether Israeli or Christian makes negotiation problematic for it denies any Palestinian claims.
Jesus was willing to criticise the leaders of his day, often in strong terms. He called the scribes and Pharisees who challenged him “hypocrites” (Matthew 23). When told King Herod wanted to kill him, he referred to him as “that fox” (Luke 13:32). We can express disapproval of policies and actions in the political and economic realms. However abusive and hateful speech is not acceptable. It is unfortunate that social media lends itself to such speech. As Christians we need to be considered in what we say. Protest is often needed but what is said has to be expressed appropriately.
Called to Discern Together
We are called to be God’s people as followers of Jesus Christ. Jesus calls us to follow the difficult way of steadfast love. He says blessed are those who mourn, are meek, who hunger and thirst for righteousness, who are merciful, who are peacemakers (Matthew 5:3-10). We are to be like that in how relate to Jewish people and all people, and in how we advocate for God’s will in relation to the issues of the day. Our hope is in God and God’s reign which challenges all political positions. May the Spirit guide us to discern appropriately.
