Don't Evangelize the Jews????

Shalom Everyone,

I wanted to send you a link to an excellent article regarding the latest controversy involving the Pope and his new book.  There are some in the Catholic world who are saying the Pope is telling us not to evangelize the Jews.  Be forewarned.  This is not what the Pope is advocating.  Jimmy Akin wrote an excellent and balanced article on this issue. Here is the link:

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/pope-dont-evangelize-jews-really/

Also be forewarned that some of the comments on his blog are very disturbing.  There is quite a bit of anti-semitism out there in the Catholic and Christian world which is based on bad theology.  You see bad theology always leads to bad actions, hence we saw what happened in Nazi Germany.  Do not be afraid or discouraged because our Lord is in control and our Holy Father and the Magisterium of the Church is infallible when it comes to faith and morals. 

We are never to be ashamed of the Gospel because it is the power of God for salvation to every one how has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Rom 1:16)   So we are not to target Jews for conversion because G-d will take care of this when the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled (Rom 11:25).  But let' remember that our salvation depends upon only one person and that is Jesus the Messiah and that is for both Jew and Gentile.  So we need to be open to sharing the truth with anyone and everyone whom the Holy Spirit sends to us.  They will know the truth through our witness and our words.  So let us be ready in season and out to share the Gospel. 

I must admit that I was discouraged after reading some of the comments by who we would call faithful but misguided Catholics.  In some cases you can sense the real hatred they have toward the Jewish people.  This is odd to me since Jesus, Mary, all the Apostles, Paul and the early Church were all Jewish.  The Church is post messianic Judaism, although they would deny this  (See old heresy called Marcionism which denied that the God of the Old Testament was different from the New and should be discarded).   But then I am encouraged by what I saw this past week when we went to Holy Rosary Church to see Sister Rosalind Moss speak.  There were over 300 people who packed in to see and hear Sister speak.  These folks saw a wonderful Hebrew Catholic witness who gave us a great example to follow for our faith. I have to remember that we are locked in a spiritual battle and sometimes the enemy is sitting next to us in our pews.  I am not talking about our neighbors but I am talking about the enemy of our souls, Satan.  You see Satan hates the Jews so anytime you see virulent anti-semitism anywhere including our beloved Church you know where it comes from.

The only way for us fight the spiritual war is by prayer, fasting, and studying and knowing the truth.  The truth comes from the our Pope and the Magisterium.  Our Church is very clear but remember there is a great mystery surrounding this issue.  There has been great progress made since Vatican II.  If you read Nostra Aetate it is clear what the Church teaches about the Church and the Jews.  In these documents, section 1:4, we read, "Although the Church is the new people of God, the Jews should not be presented as rejected by God or accursed, as if this followed from the Holy Scriptures."  In the Holy Scriptures we read in Romans 11:1-2, "I ask, then, has God rejected his people?  By no means!  God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew."  Also continue to read 11:11-16.  And also read Rom 11:25-32. 

So are we to leave the Jews alone altogether? NO! Later in the documents of Nostra Aetate in section 2:1 states, "In virtue of her divine mission, and her very nature, the Church must preach Jesus Christ to the world.  Lest the witness of Catholics to Jesus Christ should give offence to the Jews, they must take care to live and spread their Christian faith while maintaining the strictest respect for religious liberty in line with the teaching of the Second Vatican Council."

Also keep in mind that even though we are certain that our Catholic faith is the fulfillment of ancient Judaism we must respect rabbinic Judaism since in the documents of Nostra Aetate, section 2:4 it states, "the history of Judaism did not end with the destruction of Jerusalem, but rather went on to develop a religious tradition.  And, although we believe that the importance and meaning of that tradition were deeply affected by the coming of Christ, it is still nonetheless rich in religious values."  Let's remember that rabbinic Judaism was allowed to develop separately from Christianity to allow the Gentiles come to faith in the G-d of Israel without having to become Jews first.  G-d has kept the Jewish people alive and a distinct people until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled before all Israel is saved.  G-d is not done with salvation history and so not done with the Jewish people.  Until then there are and have always been a remnant of Jews who have been a part of the Church.  The new Israel of G-d always included both Jew and Gentile.  Many wrongly contend that the word Jew means someone who does not believe in Christ. This is not true! There will come a time when the word Jew will come to mean one who loves G-d and the Jewish Messiah.

In this time, we are seeing more Jews come to faith in the Messiah and it is critical for those Jewish Christians and Hebrew Catholics to maintain their Jewish identity.  We are to live as part of the Church and part of Israel because we are both.  Our model for this is St. Edith Stein. There are some in  both the Jewish and Catholic/Christian community that say you have to be one or the other but this is not what G-d wants.  Jews have an election to remain Jews even after they come to faith in the Messiah and we need to respect this if we are to see Jews come into the Church en mass.  Until then we will see individual Jews come to faith and it is our responsibility to share the Gospel and see that we accommodate them into our "universal church".  It is time for the prodigal son to come home!

So let's not be too quick to castigate our beloved Holy Father on this issue.  He has got it right!  It is amazing how this particular issue can bring out some of the biggest and worst cranks and heretics in the Church.  We need to be forewarned and armed with the truth out there in the world.  You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.  (John 8:32)

Shalom in Yeshua and Miriam,
Gershon ben Sha'ul