Anthropological
Failures
To continue the discussion on nationalism, the Jewish people have stood at the center of this argument in Christianity. Though I do not have space here to thoroughly annotate every “extreme” claim I make, I would like to suggest that there are two fundamental misunderstandings about God’s chosen, at least in Western Christianity, both of which stand firmly on nationalistic propositions. The first is supersessionism/replacement-theology in which the church is believed to have superseded Israel’s role because they were unable to live up to God’s expectations. This stems from the notion that Israel was entrusted with the job of keeping their portion of the covenant (the Law) for salvific ends, but when they could not God subsequently nullified all previous covenants and sent his messianic son to start afresh with the church. However, this means that God went back on his irrevocable promise of faithfulness to the Jews as his people as-well-as abolished his perpetually reiterated promise of the future restoration of Israel (Deut. 7:6-8; Jer. 31:35-37; Ezek. 36; Rom. 11:25-29).
To continue the discussion on nationalism, the Jewish people have stood at the center of this argument in Christianity. Though I do not have space here to thoroughly annotate every “extreme” claim I make, I would like to suggest that there are two fundamental misunderstandings about God’s chosen, at least in Western Christianity, both of which stand firmly on nationalistic propositions. The first is supersessionism/replacement-theology in which the church is believed to have superseded Israel’s role because they were unable to live up to God’s expectations. This stems from the notion that Israel was entrusted with the job of keeping their portion of the covenant (the Law) for salvific ends, but when they could not God subsequently nullified all previous covenants and sent his messianic son to start afresh with the church. However, this means that God went back on his irrevocable promise of faithfulness to the Jews as his people as-well-as abolished his perpetually reiterated promise of the future restoration of Israel (Deut. 7:6-8; Jer. 31:35-37; Ezek. 36; Rom. 11:25-29).
The second nationalistic
perspective comes from those who have misunderstood Israel’s role and
relationship with God. While many Evangelicals
have avoided the supersessionistic trappings, they have made Israel out to be a
tribal community that is special to God for all the wrong reasons. Many paint them as a people set apart for God
explicitly for the purpose of positioning themselves over and against all other
nations (this observation mainly comes from the way we have shoehorned our
loyalty to Israel into one of our two political parties). The ideological temptations that have
followed have led to idolatrous view of Israel. Now to support the Jews and
Israel comes solely from the quid-pro-quo mentality in which blessing equates
being blessed (Gen.12:3), but the focus is misplaced on the gift rather than
the Gift-Giver. Subsequently, this
loyalty has now translated into believing Israel is fine as is and can do no
wrong which misses the point and takes things too far the other direction of
authoritarianism. It is this kind of
thinking that disconnects Israel from her role.
While Israel is a holy people that have long been privileged to God’s
heart, it is not in such a way that it accepts some and excludes others. In a sense the well meaning pro-Israel
Christians are in need of the same correction that YHWH handed Israel in her exile.
This was that they were not set apart and holy for selfish reasons, but were
and are set apart to embody and offer a universal invitation (Isaiah 55). Yet, we seem bent on recklessly propagating
them as a political idol and tool that will bless our nation and its
self-interests.
Israel Blesses The World
It is my opinion that Israel was
perhaps God’s answer to Cain’s infamous question, “am I my brother’s keeper?” (Gen.
4:9). He answered with a resounding yes (Genesis
12). As Brueggemann sketches out, Israel was offered a unique invitation via
YHWH’s covenant in which this was a new way for them to live in the world as
those who would live in, gaze on and subsequently embody the “presence,
holiness and beauty” of the world’s Creator.[1] In doing so, they as a community would be the
towering light revealing YHWH’s sanctuary of peace and restoration for the rest
of the darkened world. It is YHWH’s
presence that illuminates the intimate infusion of beauty and holiness which
ultimately gives evidence to his “transcendence, separateness, distance, awe
and sovereignty” but Israel’s obedience emphatically means they are to be holy
just as YHWH is holy (Lev. 11:44-45; 19:2-4; 20:26).[2] Ergo, the priestly/holy role entrusted to Israel was to be a blessing to all cursed nations thereby bridging the gap between Creator
and creation.
Israel Blesses The World
However, when the Messiah shows up
it is not because Israel has failed and therefore God is enacting a new plan apart
from Israel, far from it. Israel’s
inability to get her act together was not a racial failure, but is the human inefficacy. Our dependency could never rest on autonomous
human efforts but on God’s active grace. God thus built into the covenant the
long awaited representative of Israel in the “Suffering Servant” who fulfilled
the Yawehistic/priestly role on their behalf (Isa. 53), and moreover that
fulfillment could not have come from anyone other than in an act of God giving himself. This is central to Paul’s message, understanding
and reshaping of the Jewish identity in light of Christ. I agree with Tom Wright that the Christian
perspectives old, new and otherwise have largely ignored this aspect of YHWH’s
plan which all along intended to rescue the world. Paul saw it was coming to new levels of
fruition through Israel’s and YHWH’s messianic-representative, Jesus.[3] As Paul implies, this shows the Jewish hope
and covenant is intact and progressing forward. The Gentiles are not now nor
have they ever been some quasi-replacement for Israel, nor is Israel the pious-nation
that isolates or asserts itself over all others. Rather, the addition of the Gentiles is an
inclusion that shows the coming together of Jews and Gentiles symbolizing the coming
together of Heaven and Earth. This should be seen as the next phase toward
restoring creation to its totality (Galatians 1-6). Both Jew and Gentile can partake in grace, communion
and priestly roles with YHWH through Christ as one community. Therefore, it
should become painfully clear that God’s plan has never made room for
nationalistic barriers when being executed as intended because it has always
sought to bring home the proverbial prodigal nations. I believe the coming
restoration of the Jewish people will shake the world and reignite the Church, but
only because they will lead the way in Christ-likeness to all loving, healing
and self-sacrificial ends.
Radical Hope
To put it simply, if we are to embody
God’s Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven then there is a need to break with
our nationalistic ideologies. While there
is nothing wrong with having a national identity (in fact none of us will or
should fully escape ours) many problems arise when it becomes the place of protected
self-interest, self-worth, personal-security and ultimate-hope. What was initiated with Israel was a
community that would find its life, worth and security in God to the degree of
being free from social and cultural barriers and in such a way that they could meet
the needs of the world (Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4). This too is the role of the Church in the
midst of our darkened world, but it is imperative that we know we are by grace
invited and included to participate in that cruciform community.
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