Alongside

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know one of the central themes I write about (harp on) is the apparent disparity and disunity between Jews and Gentiles in the Messianic movement. Half the time I'm told it's the Gentiles' fault for trying to usurp practices that are exclusively Jewish and so on and so forth. I'm not even sure there is another half of the time, which doesn't make things any easier. Trying to figure out what this relationship is supposed to be, particularly from God's point of view (let alone all of the human beings who have an opinion) gives me a headache and right now, I have a beaut.

However Dr Michael Schiffman has been kind enough to comment on my one of the blog posts I wrote for my congregation's blog and recently, he responded to a comment made by another reader that went like this:

".. there is nothing wrong with gentles coming alongside Jewish brethren and learning Torah. Part off Torah talks about the Jewish people (Israel) being set apart from the nations. When the nations start saying they are the same as us, it negates God’s intent that Israel be a separate nation with a separate unique calling. Its not a judgement against Gentiles, just acknowledging Israel’s unique calling. It is not that anyone is better than anyone else. One new Man does not mean we are the same. Its nothing personal, I assure you. I know many Gentiles get offended by that, but there is no intent to offend. I’m sure that was not God’s intent in Torah either."

I know that many Gentile Messianics and some Jewish Messianics may take exception to Dr Schiffman's explanation, but it was just about the most straightforward and clear description of Jews and Gentiles in the Messianic community that I've ever heard...well, ever read, anyway. Usually these discussions are charged with so much emotion that it's hard to get a simple and clear answer out of anyone regarding how we're supposed to interact and get along (or even if we are supposed to get along). However you want to take it, I thought that there was something to this coming alongside comment that should be shared.

What may chafe the Gentiles in the movement is that the definition of "alongside" refers to being "parallel" and "close by one side", which sounds pretty good, but it's not the same as being "equal". I think the lack of equality in the relationship is usually interpreted as "Gentiles are inferior", but that doesn't seem to be what Dr Schiffman is saying. You can have a man and a woman alongside each other, they can be equal in that they have equal worth as people and equal worth before God, but they certainly aren't the exact same beings. Maybe this is what Paul was trying to describe here:

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. -Galatians 3:26-29

I don't know if that's supposed to be the whole answer, but it's a start. I know. It seems like we should be a lot further along than just at the starting line, but starting down the path, even if we're starting over and over again, is better than not walking the path together at all.

Two of the Master's sheep in the sheep pen walking side-by-side. One black and one white. It's a start.