A Perspective on Suffering

Dearest hijas and hijo,

A good friend recently asked me, “Why does the world hate the Jews?” Have you ever asked yourself that question, mis hijas y hijo? Good friend continued, “What is it about the Jewish people and their history that drives so much antagonism and anti-Semitism around the globe?” It has been said that from a purely historical perspective, the Jews have been among the most continuously, harshly, and tragically disadvantaged people of all time. One only needs to peruse historical accounts of their slavery in Egypt, their persecution at the hands of Roman and Byzantine emperors, their banishment from France by Louis IX in 1254, Philip the Fair in 1306, Spain in 1492, all the way up and through the Nazi holocaust of the early 1940’s. Why is that?

The answer is multi-faceted. There does not seem to be just one simple solution to this question. One reason, I think, is God’s choice of them as a special, chosen nation. God Himself tells them through Moses in Deuteronomy 14:2 “For you are a holy people to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.” Out of all people groups on earth, God chose Abraham (c.2100 B.C,) and through his descendants (Isaac, Jacob, 12 sons of Jacob [Israel]) to carry His covenants, His purposes, His will, His message forward to all the rest of the people groups of the earth. It started when God told Abraham living in Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan, “Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, And from your relatives, And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you. And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing: And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse, And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:1-3).

(Gen. 11:31, 12:4)

God chose one person in history (Abraham), and through him and his descendants with specificity, son by son, one national group of people (Israel) for a special purpose and blessing. That purpose was to be God’s representatives on earth to all other people groups on earth. God speaks in Isaiah 43:21 of this purpose, “The people whom I formed for Myself, will declare My praise.” Just before handing down the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mt. Sinai, God had said, “and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex. 19:6). The psalmist exulted, “For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His own possession” (Psalms 135:4). The prophet Amos speaking for God to Israel says, “You only have I chosen among all the families of the earth…” (Amos 3:2). There are numerous other OT passages that testify to Israel’s unique calling and blessing.

Pastor John MacArthur has said in his commentary on Romans 1-8:

“The Jews as a people had been adopted by God as His children, with whom He had made several exclusive covenants. He had given them His holy law and promised that through their lineage the Savior of the world would come. The Jewish people were indeed special in God’s eyes. They were blessed, protected, and delivered as no other nation on earth.”

The Jewish people are proud of this heritage, this privilege, this blessing, this position in the eyes of God, and in many ways this pride has resulted in haughtiness toward others, and a cultural and ethnic separation from other people groups, to which the world sees and hates. Even without this haughtiness however, because the world hates God, they also hate the people of God, especially those who keep themselves separate, and think they are special and privileged and blessed because God has chosen them. This progression seems natural to sinful man, doesn’t it? Hate God = hate the people who are chosen of God. In this respect, the world in its hatred is following after the desires of their father, the Devil (John 8:44), who hates God, and all things God-purposed, God-chosen, and God-directed.

The label of “Christ-killers” could be another reason. Much of the Jewish persecution has been at the hands of those who have called themselves Christians. From Popes and church councils, to individuals like Luther, the Jewish people have suffered the resentment and pogroms of those who have called on the name of Christ. In violation of God’s commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18) and Christ’s commandment to “love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt. 5:44), many Christians have rushed to condemn the Jews and/or stand mute and silently condone others who carry out the violence against them. One must remember in this, however, that Jesus Himself was a Jew, and even if within 1st century history they demanded the death of one of their own, it was the Roman government that actually flogged and beat Him mercilessly, nailed Him to a cross, pierced His side with a lance, and carried out the execution to completion of death. Why is there no similar anti-Romanism as “Christ-killers?”

There are other reasons that have been put forward for this vast amount of persecution towards the Jewish people group: disproportionate economic success, usury and exploitation of another’s need, power monopoly in conquest and control of land, and the very distinction Jew-Gentile (Jews and others).

Columnist Michael Medved in a Townhall article (https://townhall.com/columnists/michaelmedved/2006/08/09/why-the-world-hates-the-jews-n852006) has his own reasons for the ‘why’ in answer to this question:

“The answer is obvious to anyone who monitors anti-Semitic propaganda from all its multifarious sources. People who express hatred, resentment or fear regarding the Jews almost always focus on charges of Jewish arrogance, elitism, aggressiveness and lust for power. According to the classic logic of anti-Semites everywhere, Jews deserve harsher treatment than anyone else because they work harder than anyone else to enshrine their own superior status.”

One thing is clear from Scripture, mis hijas y hijo, and that is this—God is not finished with His chosen nation and His beloved people. Throughout history there has been a remnant that remains in Israel according to God’s gracious choice (Rom. 11:5). Yes, the gospel has gone out to the Gentiles and Jesus has established His Church, of which the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it (Matt 16:18). But we Gentiles have been grafted in—contrary to nature—to the root of the cultivated olive tree, and God in His divine providence and love for that olive tree has not forgotten them. This is Paul’s argument in Romans 11, isn’t it? Paul takes a whole chapter to lay this out: “don’t be arrogant;” “don’t be haughty towards the natural branches;” “don’t think that you as Gentiles have replaced them;” “it is the root that supports you;” “don’t be conceited, but fear!” He speaks of a mystery, lest we be wise in our own eyes, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, and “thus all Israel will be saved” (Rom. 11:25-27).

The anti-Semitism and hatred of the Jewish people remains today, doesn’t it? It springs up all over the globe, at various times and within various countries, but here’s what it is reflective of no matter from which quarter it comes: a self-righteous, autonomous exaltation of self and hatred for God. In the same way that Christians are persecuted and killed all over the globe, the self-righteous and autonomous sinner, who thinks he is a law unto himself, will not brook anyone who claims otherwise.

Jesus: “REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND” (Matt. 4:17).

Remember: “SEEK THE LORD WHILE HE MAY BE FOUND, CALL UPON HIM WHILE HE IS NEAR, LET THE WICKED FORSAKE HIS WAY, AND THE UNRIGHTEOUS MAN HIS THOUGHTS; AND LET HIM RETURN TO THE LORD, AND HE WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON HIM; AND TO OUR GOD, FOR HE WILL ABUNDANTLY PARDON (Isaiah 55: 6-7).

All my love,

Dad

Vaya con Dios!