September 1965

Jews and Christ

Proposal of the Ecumenical Council at Rome -- to absolve the Jews of guilt in the crucifixion of Christ -- is one with great significance for Catholics, Jews and Protestants.

The Arab states, principally Syria and Egypt, were quick to denounce the proposal as a Western dodge to support the Israel nation with which they have been warring for many years.

Such a narrow construction of the historical step by the Roman Catholic Church is much too contrived.

Roman Catholic doctrine in this instance moves closer to the Protestant view - that all mankind shares the blame for Christ’s death. The closer Christians come in their beliefs, the closer they come in physical unity. To me, this seems both logical and necessary.

Official reaction from Israel was one of gratification that a source of irritation between Jew and Christian may be removed. The individual Jews of my acquaintance express themselves on the matter in words of exasperated tolerance, feeling they weren’t responsible in the first place.

If nothing else, however, the burgeoning spirit of understanding should encourage creative contributions by the Jews to the critical world problems. Centuries of interest in the human spirit have placed the Jews in a unique position to once again take a leading part in mankind’s struggle to find his place in the universe.

I say “once again” because the Jews historically have discovered solutions to some of man’s problems of living together.

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Abraham, an immigrant from the city of Ur in the country of Babylonia, crossed over the Euphrates River about 2000 B.C. to take up residence in the land of Haran (southern Turkey.)

In so doing, he became the first Hebrew (“one who crossed over.") Years later, at the age of 75, he became the first to know the “true God.”

This patriarch of Judaism, Mohammedanism and Christianity had a vision of Jehovah - the one and only God - who made a covenant with him. God promised that if Abraham and his descendents would keep his commandments, He would protect them as his “chosen people.”

To appreciate the significance of this event, we must remember that all peoples of the world at that time believed in a host of nature deities. The Gods were selfish in nature, requiring much sacrifice and entreaty to keep them from destroying man and his property.

Establishment of a monotheistic religion was revolutionary. It flew in the face of man’s most emotional ideas. It marked the Jew as one likely to anger the existing gods and bring down their wrath on all and sundry.

For their audacity in this, and subsequent religious innovations, the Jews have suffered the discrimination that too often is the lot of original thinkers.

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Thus began the “one-God” concept -- and the Jewish race.

Through the ages, the Jews introduced such concepts as church, prayer, redemption, universal education, charity and a legal system. It is based on an assumption that the accused is innocent until proven guilty.

The Jewish contribution to Western civilization and religion is considerable and merits recognition. For a fascinating and scholarly account of the development of Jewish ideas, I recommend the book “Jew, God and History” by Max I. Dimont - though one should keep in mind that the author is a Jew and is understandably sympathetic to that viewpoint.

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The Jews’ role in the drama of Christ has changed in recent years under the impact of new archeological and documentary evidence.

The unearthing of early Christian-Jew graves, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls written by the Jewish Essenes, the accurate translation of Apostolic literature-all this has shed new light on the relationship of Jews to Christianity.

Scholars now feel certain that Jesus was a member of the Jewish sect known as Essenes. This was the most pious of the many denominations of Judaism. It began at least 200 years before Christ, according to the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The Essenes believed in penitence, poverty, humility, brotherly love, chastity, a messiah and resurrection of the body. Their two principal rites were the “sacred meal” and “baptism.”

On Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem, His divine mission was known only to His Disciples. It was not until some time after that he drove the money changers from the temple and revealed to the public His relationship to God.

Even then his ideas of temple reform, messiaship and personal salvation were not new or repugnant to Jews of that day. The Essenes had preached a similar doctrine for many years and were widely revered for their teachings.

What, then, led to Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion?

The Jews contend that the trial of Jesus by the priests could have not taken place as related by the Gospels. It was contrary to centuries of legal tradition, occurring at night, in a private palace, and on the eve of Passover. The Talmud specifically prohibits all these violations of Jewish justice.

It is true that Roman legionnaires took Jesus into custody at the Garden of Gethsemane, tried him before Pilate, scourged him, pressed a crown of thorns on his head and killed him in the Roman manner.

Christianity, which began with Jesus, remained a viable Jewish sect for two decades after His death. It attracted many pagan converts during this period, but they had first to become Jews -- the males submitting to circumcision and observing the strict dietary laws.

It was Saul of Tarsus, known to Christians today by the Romanized name of Paul, who de-“Hebrew-ized” Christianity and carried it from the Jews to the Gentiles (non-believers.)

With competition from many other sects of Judaism - all of which espoused the One God - Christianity gradually withered amongst the Jews.

Not so in pagan lands. The message of redemption, love, compassion and resurrection - as revealed by Jesus and preached by Paul - was the most powerful force for good the world has ever known. In my opinion, it transcends the influence of the Judaism which came before, and the Mohammedism which came after.

The important task now at hand is that of trying to learn more about God and applying the principles of brotherly love to the troubled world in which we live.

By Lindsey Wilger Williams, retired newspaper publisher and syndicated columnist