Monday XIV Week of Ordinary Time
(Genesis 28)
Lutheran congregations are often named “Bethel.” In the reading from Genesis today we hear why. Bethel means the “abode (or house) of God.” Certainly God resides in the people who come together in His name and, by extension, God is found in the building where they meet.
At Bethel the Lord promises Jacob that in his “descendents all the nations of the earth shall find blessing.” We see this prophecy doubly fulfilled. First, the Jewish people have brought blessing to the whole earth for the Scriptures that they have handed down through the centuries, for their wisdom in the arts and the sciences (which is really quite remarkable), and most of all for bringing to fruition the promise of Jesus Christ. As the Gospel of John says, “Salvation is from the Jews.”
We see a second blessing that surpasses the first in the spiritual descendants of Jacob. We Christians have been largely grafted into Judaism to become the greater and more efficacious branch of God’s people. It is mainly through us that the world knows Christ, its creator and redeemer. This claim sounds pretentious because we know many Christians who hardly live up to the name. Nevertheless, it is our calling as well as our faith. Because we are Christian, we are called to make Christ’s love known to the world.
Showing posts with label Christians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christians. Show all posts
Homilette for Thursday, March 22, 2007
Thursday, IV Lent
(John 5)
As Holy Week approaches, we Christians should review our attitudes toward Jews. All the gospels relate that Jewish people had a role in Jesus’ passion and death. The Romans actually executed Jesus, but each gospel points out that they did so at the instigation of the Jewish people. The gospels of Matthew and John are especially harsh in their consideration of Jewish responsibility. Matthew locates blame for the crucifixion not only on the Jews in Jerusalem on the first Good Friday but also on Jews of all time. The crowds respond to Pilate, “(Jesus’) blood be upon us and upon our children.” Throughout the Gospel according to John, as we see in the passage today, Jesus is in a bitter debate with not only the scribes and Pharisees and other Jewish leaders but more generically with “the Jews.”
However, we must be very careful about assigning guilt. It is universally recognized that the Gospels do not only tell the story of Jesus’ life and death but that they also reflect the conditions of apostolic times. During the latter half of the first century when the Gospels were being composed there was bitter opposition between Christians and Jews. For a while Christianity was considered a sect of Judaism. Christians worshipped with Jews in the Temple in Jerusalem until it was destroyed in 70 A.D. as well as in synagogues wherever there were Jews. With the destruction of the Temple Jewish leaders tried to put their house in order. They saw the need to expel from the synagogues the Christians who were worshipping Jesus as Messiah. As Jesus makes clear in the gospel today, Jews and Christians read the Scriptures differently.
Because they were almost literally thrown out on their ears, Christians responded with a rather harsh description of Jewish involvement for Jesus’ death in the gospels. The Vatican Council has helped us clarify what actually happened the fateful day on which Jesus was crucified. The members of the governing council were responsible for giving Jesus over to the Romans for execution. Some of these men no doubt sincerely believed that Jesus had violated the Mosaic blasphemy laws and deserved death. Others probably acted out of jealousy and hatred. In any case it is wrong for Christians to blame all Jews at the time for Jesus’ death and an outrage to call Jews today “Christ killers.” Jesus was a Jew, and many Jews became Christians. There are many reasons for us to love Jews, not the least of which is Jesus’ command to love our neighbor as our self.
(John 5)
As Holy Week approaches, we Christians should review our attitudes toward Jews. All the gospels relate that Jewish people had a role in Jesus’ passion and death. The Romans actually executed Jesus, but each gospel points out that they did so at the instigation of the Jewish people. The gospels of Matthew and John are especially harsh in their consideration of Jewish responsibility. Matthew locates blame for the crucifixion not only on the Jews in Jerusalem on the first Good Friday but also on Jews of all time. The crowds respond to Pilate, “(Jesus’) blood be upon us and upon our children.” Throughout the Gospel according to John, as we see in the passage today, Jesus is in a bitter debate with not only the scribes and Pharisees and other Jewish leaders but more generically with “the Jews.”
However, we must be very careful about assigning guilt. It is universally recognized that the Gospels do not only tell the story of Jesus’ life and death but that they also reflect the conditions of apostolic times. During the latter half of the first century when the Gospels were being composed there was bitter opposition between Christians and Jews. For a while Christianity was considered a sect of Judaism. Christians worshipped with Jews in the Temple in Jerusalem until it was destroyed in 70 A.D. as well as in synagogues wherever there were Jews. With the destruction of the Temple Jewish leaders tried to put their house in order. They saw the need to expel from the synagogues the Christians who were worshipping Jesus as Messiah. As Jesus makes clear in the gospel today, Jews and Christians read the Scriptures differently.
Because they were almost literally thrown out on their ears, Christians responded with a rather harsh description of Jewish involvement for Jesus’ death in the gospels. The Vatican Council has helped us clarify what actually happened the fateful day on which Jesus was crucified. The members of the governing council were responsible for giving Jesus over to the Romans for execution. Some of these men no doubt sincerely believed that Jesus had violated the Mosaic blasphemy laws and deserved death. Others probably acted out of jealousy and hatred. In any case it is wrong for Christians to blame all Jews at the time for Jesus’ death and an outrage to call Jews today “Christ killers.” Jesus was a Jew, and many Jews became Christians. There are many reasons for us to love Jews, not the least of which is Jesus’ command to love our neighbor as our self.
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