While those of us who celebrate Hanukkah were enjoying the holiday last week, the Vatican came out with a very interesting document that was shocking to some, delightful to a few, abhorrent to many, still insignificant to others: they said that "that the Catholic Church neither conducts nor supports any specific institutional mission work directed towards Jews (Section 6, point #40)." The driving reason for this is because the Jews worship the same God as Christians, and because "the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable" (quoting Romans 11:29); and so the very loose implication is that they are (or eventually will be) included in the New Covenant, and so don't need to be targeted for conversion.  Not helping the banter that would shortly ensue was a somewhat misleading headline which read, "Vatican Says Jews Don't Need Christ to be Saved."  (Following this title is a quote that I did not find anywhere in the original document.)

Instead of launching into a tirade, ripping this apart for what should be some very obvious flaws, I need to stress what a noble thought this was.  This document represents an about face to the Catholic Church's position on Judaism; it states that it is a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Nostra Aetate, but even though that document was groundbreaking in its reconciliatory attitude toward Jews, this current document is nothing short of miraculous.  Who would have ever thought that the same Church which declared the Jews as 'Christ-killers' and criminals guilty of deicide would suddenly consider them to be partners in the covenant as the people of God to bring light to the world?  The sentiment is incredible—and not coincidental.

Earlier this month, Orthodox Rabbis released a similar statement announcing that "...Christianity is neither an accident nor an error, but the willed divine outcome and gift to the nations."  (You can pick up your jaw from the floor now.)  For the past twenty-some-odd years, I have prayed that the LORD would bring reconciliation between all the different denominations of Christianity and Judaism.  The reformation is now happening.  It may not look like much yet, but God is bringing His people back together.  

Now, to be sure, there is a divide happening as well—but it's not necessarily defined along sectarian lines; the fissure is occurring between those who worship YHVH and those who ultimately worship themselves—between false believers and true ones.  The true Body of Messiah is made up of people from every tribe and tongue; all denominations, both Jew and Gentile, will be represented in the New Jerusalem in the presence of God.  As this reformation unfolds, however, we have to make sure and guide our responses to align with God's Biblical plan.  The enemy is continuously seeking to derail what God is doing; of course, he can never ultimately thwart God's plans in the scheme of history, but for individuals, he can delay or even destroy the work of God in their lives, and we must be careful not to aid him by the things we say and do.

...Which brings me to my response.  If you've spent time reading anything that I have written, you know that I have a lot of things to say concerning the Romanized Constantinian Church, and particularly with regard to Roman Catholicism.  There is a lot of distance that has been traveled between the early first-century faith and what the Catholic Church has become today; most of which was trod from a position of hatred against the Jews—a direct and deliberate rejection of the Jewish Biblical context and subsequent incorporation of pagan holidays, rituals, concepts, language, and doctrines.  The varying Orthodox and Protestant divisions of the Church, while perhaps less overtly pagan, have certainly not returned toward a position resembling Biblical practice, and some groups have continued an anti-Jewish or even anti-Semitic stance. But this is not necessarily what I am dissecting here; no, in fact, other than the Vatican's conclusions, I was actually rather impressed with the language of the Catholic document; if you read my book and many of the articles on this website, you'll find that my position is similar in many respects.  Furthermore, my criticisms of all branches of the Church—and of post-Second Temple Judaism for that matter—do not equate to a hatred for any of these groups; rather, I love them all and want to see us all cross the finish line in celebration of our relationship with God.

To that end, I have to point out some things:

Rabbi Sha'ul (the Apostle Paul) praised what God had done in breaking down the wall of separation between Gentile and Jew; and he looked forward to the day when we would truly be one in Messiah.  He did not advocate for a separation in any way, as the Roman Catholic document implies.  When Paul spoke, there was no such thing as 'Christianity'; he believed that worshipping Jesus was as naturally Jewish as Passover.  I'd like us to return there.

There were a million different reactions from people to these attestations, both positive and negative—ranging from accusations of a New Age globalist plot to precursor of the Messianic Reign.  While I beg to differ with some of the theology and conclusions these documents reach, I choose to believe this is an opportunity—to right some wrongs, to heal some wounds, and to obtain a better perspective.

I would call on my Christian brothers and sisters from all branches of the Church to examine their rituals, traditions, beliefs, and language. Study the history of the Church. Stack these things up against the Bible and see how much of it reflects God's intentions.  I almost guarantee that God will be asking us to make some changes.  I also would ask that, contrary to the inference in the Catholic document separating Judaism from the physical land of Israel, that we consider the covenants and understand the integral nature of Israel and her earthly inheritance.  The two cannot be separated.  

One of my dreams would be to see an ecumenical letter of repentance, asking the Jewish people for forgiveness for all of the atrocities that have been committed against them in the name of Christ.  There have been many acts of extraordinary kindness and love by Christians toward Jews as well; and our friend Mike Evans has done a wonderful job showcasing these at the Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem; however, repentance is also needed.

To the Jewish community, I would plead that you accept Christianity as more than a partner in tikkun olam.  I boldly, but humbly ask that you recognize Messianic Jews as belonging to the Jewish community, given that there are those even here in America who do not even worship God and yet are accepted as Jews. I also ask that you treat those Christians who love you, who believe that you truly are God's chosen people, who fight for your national existence, and declare the worship of your God as the ger, the permanent resident aliens who have attached themselves to your nation.  We are as Ruth, who proclaimed, "Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people will be my people, and your God my God." Thirdly, I would invite you to read the B'rit Chadashah (the New Covenant Scriptures).  Compare them with the truth of the Tanakh.  Make your conclusions on the basis of respectful dialogue, research, and conviction by the Holy Spirit of our heavenly Father, who teaches us all things.

Lastly, to my Hebrew Roots and Messianic Jewish friends, I would say:  the LORD Himself has caused the warming of relations between the members of His family.  He has drawn us to Himself and has caused us to explore some areas that we have not seen for 1900 years in some cases.  Change does not usually come overnight.  Let us remember to fix our focus on the central commands of the Torah—to love our God and to love our neighbor as ourselves.  As our Messiah taught us, let us beware of the leaven of the Pharisees (and I would add the Ebionites) who would revel in their self-righteousness and pompous attitudes.  If we err, may we err on the side of courtesy, forgiveness, and love.  It is not our job to break the bruised reed or snuff the smoldering wick, but to welcome our family home.  I would encourage the study of Hebrews 7 to counterbalance the misinterpretation of Paul's writings rather than attempting to make him recant things he clearly said, no matter how difficult they seem.  Instead, we must interpret them in light of his context and the narrative that he was trying to convey.

It is no coincidence that the entire world is revealing their hatred of the Judeo-Christian family; above all, this should give us a clue that there is something special between us—a commonality that we share.  We have an opportunity to fulfill our mandate in response to our God as the Chosen People, the holy priesthood, a royal nation, and light to the rest of the world.  I'm ready—let's do it!