Loving Us to Death

I've been trying to write this post for awhile. Many thoughts run through my head. There is the lies such tactics are based on. There is the inherent deception involved. They are literally trying to love Jews to death. They do not even really understand that the message they preach is not based on the words of the most famous Jew in the world, Jesus, but rather on Paul.

The message of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, burying the dead, etc are all basic tenets of the Jewish faith.

They lie in so many other ways. If their message is to be one of their supposed truth, why do they have to lie and employ deception? Why are the churches of such liars and deceivers made to look like synagogues and why are the rituals during services disguised as Jewish? If the message is one of truth, why all the lies?

With this realization, these highly motivated missionaries developed an entirely new and remarkably simple approach to Jewish evangelism. It goes like this, "When you're becoming a believer in Jesus, you are not converting to another religion. On the contrary, you're becoming a 'fulfilled Jew' or a 'completed Jew.' After all, Jesus was a Jew and his followers were Jewish; therefore, believing in Jesus must be the most Jewish thing you can do."

Messianic "synagogues" do not observe Christian holidays. You will never find a Christmas tree or blinking colored lights around December in a Messianic congregation. Instead, these missionaries celebrate Jewish holidays with a "Christological" spin. Throughout the world, Messianic congregations hold elaborate and well-publicized Passover Seders.

A MESSIANIC "SEDER"

At first glance, a Messianic Seder table appears quite traditional, with all of the customary essentials: Seder plate, matzah, and wine. Once the ceremony begins to unfold, however, even the most uninitiated will immediately realize that something is askew. Participants are told that the wine at the Seder table represents the blood of Yeshua/Jesus, and the matzah represents his body. Do you know the real reason why Jews have three matzoth at the Seder table? To represent the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Do you know why the matzahs are perforated? Because Jesus was pierced through when he was crucified. Why does the matzah have stripes? Because Jesus had stripes across his back as a result of the beating he endured during his trial. Why is the middle matzah broken? Because Jesus was brutally broken on the cross. Why is the matzah wrapped in a white towel? Because Jesus was wrapped in a white burial shroud. Why is this middle matzah hidden? Because Jesus was hidden away in the tomb following his crucifixion. Why is the matzah brought back at the end of the meal? Because Jesus will return in the Second Coming at the End of Days.

This is why I was so upset about Ann Coulter and her message about being a "perfected Jew". The actions of groups like Jews for Jesus and many Evangelicals are some the most abhorrent forms of anti-Semitism. It shows an utter contempt for us and does not entail a love for fellow human beings. It is a show of desperation that these people have to lie and deceive in order to get their message of "love" across. These Jews for Jesus and other Christian groups trying to pretend they are Jews in order to ensnare Jews are pathetic and are no better than snake oil salesmen.

Torah Atlanta has many great resources on how the Tanakh has been distorted. Jews for Judaism is another great resource.

All I can think is that groups like Jews for Jesus have a real identity crisis, otherwise why would they need to practice deception. They are desperately trying to love us to death.