It is impossible to understand the Bible with its narrative about the plan that God has for mankind without understanding the role of Israel as a people and a Nation. The Jews have been at the center of all that God does, beginning with the call of Abraham up to the book of Malachi at the end of the Old Testament; and they remain the center throughout the period of the first Christian century recorded in the New Testament. However, it is not an exaggeration to say that the relationship between Jews and Gentiles within the Communion of Faith, since the coming of the Son of God, has been badly misunderstood.
Our goal in these pages is to seek a more balanced, Biblical view of the Body of Jesus within God's plan of salvation. We try to offer a deeper understanding how the Church should function according to God's plan; and how it will always remain in some way dysfunctional as long as one of the two essential components of the Church is missing. We look at the Scriptures, and history, to make an accurate analysis of the tragic situation we inherited from the past, which persists until today. And we want to understand how to overcome these hindrances.
A Joke with Lots of Meaning
One day, the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem visited the Pope in Rome. When he reached the Pope's office, the first thing he saw was a big red phone on the table. Soon he deduced that it was the "hotline" to speak to the Almighty. He did not think twice and said, "Could I use your phone for a moment?" The Pope replied, "Please be very careful; the long-distance calls from this phone are very expensive!" So, the Rabbi picked up the phone and started talking. He talked and talked and talked for a long time without any hurry. The Pope began to get nervous and looked repeatedly at the clock. Finally, the Rabbi hung up, thanked him and said that it had been a wonderful conversation. But the Pope was horrified for the bill for that conversation would certainly be very high.
A year later, the Pope was visiting the same Rabbi in Jerusalem and to his surprise; he also had a red phone. He thought, "Oh, he took a long time on the phone in Rome, now I will call from his phone and do the same thing he did to me." Thus, following the example of the Rabbi, the Pope also spoke on the phone for a long time. Nevertheless, the Rabbi was not the least bit nervous during the conversation. Finally, the Pope hung up and apologized: "Rabbi, forgive me, I'm sorry for talking so long." However, the Rabbi turned to him, smiled and said: "Don't worry. From Jerusalem, talking to God is just a local call!"
The Jews - the World's Destiny
Marthe Robin (1902-1981), a famous French mystic, spent much of her life paralyzed, trapped in bed. Because of her spirituality and communion with God, many important Catholic leaders and a multitude of ordinary people sought her advice and prayers in her bedroom. This continued until her death, when she was almost 80 years old. Still young, in the 1920s, she had a vision in which she saw a young man whom she later identified as Adolf Hitler. In the vision, this young German stood in front of Satan wondering what he would have to do to gain importance, influence and even dominion over the earth. The devil replied to him, "If you hand over to me all the Jews on the earth, I will give you dominion over the whole world." Marthe understood from this vision:
- Satan had found an ultimate way to block God's plans for salvation;
- The key to doing so would involve eliminating the Jews from the world stage and history;
- One day, a young German would sell his soul to become this instrument of extermination of the Jewish people.
This story reveals a very important truth. From God's perspective, Israel is in the center of everything of importance! All spiritual developments of global perspective are related to Israel. The God whom we serve will always be the "God of Israel." We do not worship just the One and Only God Almighty – distanced from human history. We worship the God who appeared within man's history – as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This is something very special and relevant. This is why Karl Barth, one of the major Lutheran theologians of the 20th century, is credited with the following quote: "The question that most determines the future of the Church and how it operates will be determined by its relationship with Israel."
It is not really possible to understand what the Church is, let alone talk about the "Messianic Jewish phenomenon" without first being deeply confronted with the fact of Israel's election - Israel as the Apple of God's eye.
The Church of the Gentiles will never reach the full measure of engagement with the plan of God on earth without understanding that it serves not just any God – but specifically the God of Israel. This has implications in all areas of our faith; in our Christology, and the other areas of theology; in our personal prayer life and our corporate worship; in our morals; in our evangelism; in the way we live out our "family life" in private and as the "Church".
The Mystery of Israel's Election
When Elyon gave nations their heritage, when he separated the sons of man… Adonai's portion is His people, Jacob is the share of his inheritance. He found him in the wilderness …he surrounded him, cared for him, guarded him as the apple of his eye. (Deut 32:8ff)
Why Israel? Why did God choose this small, seemingly insignificant people group located in a tiny area between Africa, Europe and Arabia? Why them and not us? We could easily become jealous! Is not that our thinking? Wouldn't it have been better if God had chosen us – our people, our nation? What about the Americans, the Brazilians, the Italians – or the Germans. This was the conviction of the Nazis. Did God make a mistake?
It may even be natural to feel jealous of God's choice, but we would be ignoring the fact that God is completely sovereign when it comes to His choices. There is a non-negotiable and perhaps incomprehensible eternal decision of God: The election of Israel as His People. Whom do we question about His choice? He is the giver of life. He calls into being. He decides whom He chooses and which function He appoints for whom. There is no other way than to bow before this sovereign God, to accept whole-heartedly and with joy this election of Israel, and to acknowledge God's wisdom behind it.
We could speculate and suggest many reasons why God decided as He did: their location between the three continents; their semi-nomadic nature with its special religious tradition, which was open to a particular understanding of God's presence in the world. But such human explanations would not be sufficient. In the end, we have to accept that God chooses whom he chooses. And He chose this small ethnic group to be the "apple of His eye"."It is not because you are more numerous than all the peoples - that Adonai fell in love with you and chose you – for you are the least of all peoples." (Deut 7: 7) Israel is not better than the others, she has not more to give. Israel is just chosen!
There is an even deeper mystery. God not only chose Israel out from among all the other nations. In a sense he even created Israel. He formed a people out of this old couple, Abraham and Sarah, when they received their son Isaac. Out of Abraham and his wife God created a nation for himself. For their offspring He gave them the land of Israel. And He created His people not just for His own pleasure but for the salvation of all the other nations.
Hand in hand with the election of Israel goes her calling. Israel is not chosen for her own benefit. Gods people are called to be a servant to the nations, to serve in a priestly ministry and to become the mediator between God and the nations. This is the on-going vocation of Israel - to be and to remain the main actor in salvation history. From this background of the "Mystery of Israel" which corresponds to "The Mystery of The Olive Tree" into which the Gentile believers are grafted in, we get the correct understanding of the importance of the Messianic Jewish phenomenon.
But before we try to understand more about their calling we need to enter more deeply into this unique love of God for His People. We need some emotional approach which may help us to agree with God's decision deep down. Many who have gone through this deepening process have their own "story" of coming into a significant relationship to Israel. Most of them speak about an overwhelming experience of being suddenly "in love" with Israel. They are now able to identify personally with Gods love for Israel, which is followed by a deep sympathy for her, a valuing of what God has given to this nation, expressed in a desire to stand behind Israel, to bless her and to pray for Israel's benefit.
Believers who have gone through this process say that this path has opened their eyes to understand some of the special dignity God has granted to all members of the Jewish People; to the rich and the poor; to the impressive and the ugly; to the morally outstanding and to those who are great sinners. None of them has ever earned this dignity. Just because they as individuals are members of the Jewish people in their blood line it has been given to them as part of their calling to be a blessing among the nations. To recognize this particular dignity of the Jews has nothing to do with a "Judeo-phil" emotion. It follows a deeper revelation that we all need to receive if we want to collaborate more successful with God's ways of salvation.
Now then, if you listen closely to My voice, and keep My covenant, then you will be My own treasure from among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine. So as for you, you will be a kingdom of kohanim and a holy nation. (Ex 19:5)
You are to be holy to Me, for I, Adonai, am holy, and have set you apart from the peoples, so that you would be Mine. (Lev 20:26)
God does not love Israel more than any other nation. A Jew is not more important in God's eyes than any other human being. Nevertheless, God needs to have this unique relationship to all who belong to His people, for the role of Israel has to be lived out by the Jews both collectively and individually. It's all about this vocation that their election makes sense. In this dignity Israel is called to be the Servant of the Lord (Is 42; Is 49; Is 50; Is 52 &53). This is true independently of whether all Israel, or each individual in Israel, is willing to do the will of God or not, or even to understand it. The only important thing is what God has in mind for Israel and not what Israel has in mind for God (to quote the famous Jewish theologian Shalom Ben Chorin).
For this role Israel had to be taken aside, out of the nations, to become a priestly nation, separate and different enough from the other nations to be able to live according to the will of God; to be the "light to the nations" (Is 49, 3; Lk 2:32). The centre of her vocation is to be a role model; an icon of how mankind could turn back to the order of God after individual and collective sin has destroyed this healthy image in the heart of every human being.
This vocation to be a role model is connected to the gift of the Land because the will of God has to be lived out in the context of a society. This righteousness needs to be expressed in the form of a people living in her own territory, in a state.
A Second Conversion
As Gentile Christians we need a "second conversion" - a conversion to God as the God of Israel and to Israel as His people. To relate to God in a healthy way we need to understand this mystery and to accept Israel's role in God's plan. We need this conviction to be able to cooperate with God and His redemptive plan.
When we speak about a second conversion, we are not talking about our personal salvation, about our justification or eternal life. The first conversion takes place when we recognize Jesus as the Lord of our life realizing our baptism. This step is about forgiveness of sins and about the Spirit of God dwelling within us. His grace is enough to rescue us individually from sin and death. It is true that – with our faithfulness to this first conversion - we lack absolutely nothing for our individual redemption. The problem is that most Christians only come to this first conversion as an individual experience between themselves and God. Many Christians never understand the role of the People of God for the fulfilment of salvation history. Too many Christians are content with this "vertical" relationship with God and focus solely on their individual salvation.
We have to understand salvation in its fullness. That is, we also need the horizontal dimension of our redemption. Mankind needs restoration, not only as the individual relationship of each human being with God, but also in the larger collective dimension of bringing all of social life under God's order and government. This is the role of the People of God. Jewish and Gentile believers are called together to serve mankind as the People of God for the transformation of at least part of the "world" into the Kingdom of God. To take part in this second dimension of salvation we as individuals need to be rightly placed within this People of God, which is this unity between Israel and the Church. For to be able to live according to this second dimension of salvation we need this second conversion, we need to understand the role of Israel.
We need to see the ultimate divine plan for all of us. Salvation involves the social dimension, the healing of all humanity, even the healing of all Creation around us. Jesus is not only Lord of our individual lives, but also of the King of Kings of all the Earth. For this role of establishing the Kingdom of God he chose Israel to be His people and to become the nucleus of healing for all peoples. There is need for God's particular relationship with this particular Nation; and there is a need of a certain form of relationship between Israel and the other nations to bring about this Kingdom. Knowing about this is not an academic exercise but rather a receptive act which requires a new conversion for a widening of the heart. Finally understanding the original intent of God, we will respect God's choice and wholeheartedly welcome Israel.
Without embracing and cooperating with Israel, Christianity tries to bring about the healing of the world ("tikkun olam") without the biblical foundation. When we neglect the Jewish roots of our Christian faith, Church life becomes in some way artificial, at least in some elements - a product of human effort. This can even be true for Christian churches with a longstanding history of discipleship, dedication and martyrdom. A special example of such a weakening of Christianity because of the denial of our Jewish roots may be the situation of Christian denominations in the Middle East. For centuries, Christians in the Arab world have paid a high price to live out their faith in Christ. There are many vibrant churches in these regions. Nevertheless, almost all those churches share the same problem. They most often deny their relationship with the Jews even though they sing the Jewish Psalms and read the Jewish Gospels. Forced to Because of a stronger identification with Arab national interests, they will not accept the fact that Israel is the "apple of God's eye." Even though most of those churches have suffered for Christ in martyrdom, the denying of the Jewish roots of the Church has substantially weakened them in some aspects of their faith. Even though they think this denial provides protection against Islamic persecution – in fact, it hinders them from coming into their full identity, from taking on their role as bridge builders in this region. This makes them even more vulnerable to Islamic repression and terror.
My Personal Conversion to Israel
Before I go on with this theological reflection, I want to share my personal conversion story. My first encounter with God was at the age of seven. It was a privilege to be born in a Catholic family, where the emphasis was on family prayer and reading the Word of God together. My initial desire was to become a priest. At the age of twelve I lost my childlike faith because of a very severe crisis with my father. In the emotional vacuum that the crisis generated within me, and even as a kind of vindictive reaction, I attached myself to my maternal grandfather. He took the place of my father and started to exert a very strong influence on me. From him I received a very different worldview. This would not have been such a negative factor if not for a very serious detail – my grandfather was a fervent Nazi, a true disciple of Hitler even though it was many years after the war.
During the years of World War II, my grandfather was serving in the National Socialist Party in a full-time position and was responsible for the administration of finances in our region. He was then ordered to take responsibility for the financial management of the Jewish extermination department in the region around Vienna. My grandfather was thrilled. This was his chance to make a great career. However, when he came to tell his wife about this order, my grandmother, who was a fervent Catholic believer, replied immediately and without hesitation: "If you accept this position, I will divorce you." Thank God, my grandfather loved his wife and considered keeping his marriage more important than advancing in his career within the Nazi Party. As a result, the hands of my family were clean of Jewish blood.
As punishment for his decision, the Party sent my grandfather to serve as a simple soldier on the Russian front line of the war. My grandmother and her daughter, my future mother, were taken to a psychiatric hospital. Despite having suffered so much at the hands of the Nazis, my grandfather kept his absolute fidelity to the ideals of Hitler even after the war. He continued to idolize Hitler. When I bonded with him as a young naive boy of twelve, I was absorbing, like a sponge, all of his demonic philosophy and German racist ideology with the aim to dominate the entire world.
I started to hate the Jews, convinced that they caused all of the world's problems. I believed they were manipulating world politics, the economy and the media, and that they were standing in the way of my German people to be the first among the nations. Therefore, as Germans, we needed to eliminate the Jews. It was a terrible and sinful jealousy, which became a dangerous demonic power within me.
As a boy, I experienced how much Hitler's Nazism was not just a system or political theory, but a real evil force. It began to poison my heart and to transform me into another person. Without meaning to, I began to serve the devil's goals. The exposure to my grandfather's influence lasted about three years. It was a short time, but intense enough to give me a "brainwashing" and lead me to dive "head on" into my grandfather's way of thinking.
By the grace of God, I had a new experience with Jesus at the age of 17 and found my way back to the Christian faith. This occurred during the meetings of an independent evangelical church. Shortly after, led by the Holy Spirit, I left the independent evangelical Church and went back to my Catholic circles. This was not an easy decision. What was first done out of obedience to God without understanding, turned out to be an important step towards my future ministry within the Body of Christ. My wife and I, together with others started an Ecumenical Christian covenant community in Vienna, within the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement. I finished my theological studies, was ordained a permanent deacon in the Church, and later even became the director of the deacon's seminary. Before long, I was acknowledged as one of the major revival leaders in our nation, especially known for my ongoing investment into Christian unity and reconciliation work between the various denominations.
However, there was something in me that had not changed. Outside, I lived as a dedicated Christian. I knew how to worship, preach and say all the right words. I taught Christian theology. I did these things with sincerity, for I had a real experience with God. Nevertheless, the demonic ideology and the hatred of the Jews remained a poison in my heart. Even though I occupied quite strategic leadership positions working for Christian unity in Austria, my relationship with Israel was still ambiguous. Although no one knew about the attitude deep in my heart, it limited my freedom to minister. I didn't realize where it came from, but I was aware that something important was out of order in my life.
The year 1995 marked the 50th anniversary of the end of the War. Charismatic leaders in Austria organized a repentance march in commemoration of the Nazi sins committed against the Jews and the inability of Christians of that time to stand up against it. The route of the march started at the Hungarian border leading up to Austria's most horrible concentration camp – "Mauthausen." This "March of Death" was forced on approximately 250,000 Jews and occurred during the last days of the War. Thus, to demonstrate repentance, our Christian leadership circle decided that in an act of identification we would have to take the same route that the Jews had to fifty years before, and I, being the president of this group, obviously would have to participate.
During the march, many wept, expressed feelings of sadness and spoke prayers of repentance. And there I was among them! "What am I doing here? I cannot relate to any of this," I thought to myself. They blew a shofar every five kilometers, and I felt like my whole body was being consumed. It seemed that the piercing sound penetrated me from head to toe. It was as if God was knocking on the door of my heart. But the inner feeling of torment grew so much that I thought I would go crazy. That sound was finally purifying my inner being, healing me and freeing me from the demonic force that still had access to my life.
Arriving at the concentration camp, I knew it was time to change. God's power was invading this reserved area of my life and when I finally gave in, I cried for hours until all that demonic trash was out of me. It was a cry of deep cleansing and purification. Suddenly, my world changed. Even though I had been a believer for more than twenty years, from that moment on I began to see Jesus in a different light. Now he was Jesus the Jew! I also looked at the apostles and recognized: "That's Peter, the Jew; John, the Jew; Mary, the Jewess." I came to see all the People of God in a Jewish light. I made the following prayer to God: "As I was a curse to the Jewish people, from now on, I want to be a blessing to them." A few months later, God began to answer that prayer, using me to do just that.
I am sharing my experience here to make clear that there are two different forms of Christianity: one that tries to develop its divine mission without Israel, and another Christianity, still much smaller but growing in the power of the Spirit, deeply rooted in its Jewish origins and open to maintaining unity and relationship with the Jewish people. That is why I am speaking about this second conversion. I believe that every Christian must go through it. It may be more traumatic, similar to my experience; or it may be a rather peaceful process that yields a deep change. But it needs to happen.
