Photo by Denny Müller on Unsplash
Here’s a fun fact about me not everyone knows. I went to a Messianic Jewish church when I was a young boy living in New York City. (For the uninitiated, Messianic Jews believe that Jesus is the Messiah.) Our family lived across the street from the church. I owe my name in part to our family’s fellowship with these Jewish brothers and sisters.
I have fond memories of my time at that church. During the Passover Seder (meal), I was summoned
to open the basement door in keeping with the tradition of welcoming the prophet
Elijah to come in at Passover. We were
the only Chinese people in the congregation, but they treated us like
family. When my father passed away when
I was six, it was our Jewish friends who gathered around us at the burial grounds,
prompting my mom to insist that my dad had Jewish blood in him.
To this day, encountering a Jewish person who follows Jesus or
hearing worship songs sung in Hebrew deeply moves me. There’s something special about Jews loving Jesus. It’s not that they’re better than other
Christians. I think what wrecks me about
Jews worshiping Christ is that it’s so, to use a Hebrew word, shalom – often
translated “peace” but more appropriately “the way things ought to be.”
Here's what I mean. God
chose Israel to be a people set apart unto Himself. God staked His name on Israel. Israel was God’s Beloved, like a wife whom
her husband adores. (Isaiah 54:5) God and Israel were engaged in a divine love
story.
Sadly, the relationship between Israel and God (actually,
between all of humanity and God) has been more a story of unrequited love. You know how Charlie Brown pined for the
Little Red-Haired Girl but never had his affections returned? That’s how it was between God and Israel
except on an epic scale. Throw adultery into
the mix as well.
The problem was idolatry.
Despite God’s goodness, Israel turned to other gods and put its trust in
foreign nations and itself. Just what Satan
wanted. If God so prizes the affection
of His beloved, wouldn’t turning her to betray God be Satan’s top priority? Idolatry diverts affection meant for God to
other places. The result? God’s love goes unreturned.
Idolatry takes many forms.
Some are obvious, like worship of another god or material things. More often, idolatry is very subtle. It can even take the disguise of good
things. For example, God’s message to the
church in Ephesus in the Book of Revelations begins with recognition of its good deeds, hard work, perseverance, adherence to truth, and sacrifice in times
of hardship. But then comes the
indictment: “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at
first.” (Revelation 2:4). What did God desire but their affection?
How beautiful is it, then, when God’s beloved ones love Him
back? Call me a sucker for romance. It’s how love stories are supposed to turn out. It’s shalom.
Prayer:
Jesus, thank you for loving me no matter where I am and the
state in which you find me. I affirm
that I am beloved in your eyes. Please forgive
me in the areas where my affection for you has waned. I love you Lord. In your name, Jesus, Amen.
An Idea:
What’s the one thing that has occupied most of
your thoughts in the last week? Does it draw
you nearer to Jesus or away from Him? If
the latter, talk to Jesus about that and ask Him what needs to change to restore
intimacy with Him.
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