Jewish Archives - Rebekah Simon-Peter Coaching and Consulting Inc.

Are You a Church Leader or a Church Manager?

by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Apr 11, 2023

Just because pastors and key laity are called leaders doesn’t mean we are practicing effective leadership. Take me, for example. By the time I graduated from the Iliff School of Theology in 1998, I had an M.Div. and an M.A.R with a healthy cumulative GPA of about 3.75. I had studied Hebrew, Greek, Old Testament, New Testament, theology, church history, preaching, worship, and Christian education. I learned how to read and interpret the scriptures, lead prayer, organize a bible study, serve communion, baptize babies, visit the sick, bury the dead, counsel the distressed, call meetings, administer the life of the church, and under duress, consult the Book of Discipline.

I was prepared to manage the church, but not to truly lead the church.

What’s the Difference Between a Manager and a Leader?

A manager helps an organization survive. A leader innovates so it thrives. A manager dots the i’s and crosses the t’s. A leader generates a brand new vocabulary. A manager makes sure everything is in order. A leader envisions a brand new order. Managers tend to people and processes. Leaders build up new people and craft new processes. If managing is sufficient when things are going well, leadership is crucial when things are not going well.

What I learned in seminary was sufficient for when things are going well. But we all know that things haven’t been going well. While I was honing and expanding my skills, there was a larger dynamic at play: a culture of decline in the church. Not just my church—but the denomination as a whole, mainline Christianity as a whole. Since the early 70’s, we have seen a significant loss of membership, attendance, giving, and influence. At the same time, we’ve seen a rise in the ranks of church alumni, the spiritual but not religious.

5 Things Church Leaders Need to Know

I pastored local churches for more than 12 years. By the time I left, I was frustrated and burned out—even with all the love and good ministry that had transpired. What happened to the grand calling I had? Why was the church in decline even though I put everything I had into it? In the 15 years since, I’ve immersed myself in mastering the principles and practices of effective leadership in the church. Here’s what I’ve discovered, including 5 confessions of my own.

Leaders may be born, but even more than that, they are formed. Some of us naturally possess a personality style that others equate with “leader.” We get things done. We have an air of confidence. We connect with people. As important as those qualities are, though, they are not enough to constitute effective leadership. An effective leader doesn’t do it all themself. They also know how to empower others to get things done. Jesus intentionally authorized and empowered those around him to do what he did. That’s why his movement is still alive, while the things I began in the local church most likely are not. I didn’t fully understand how to turn things over. Church leaders, it doesn’t matter if you’re a born leader or not; we can learn those skills. In fact, we must if we are to fulfill our callings.

Effective leaders have high emotional intelligence. Self-awareness, empathy, motivation, social skill and self-regulation are five commonly accepted attributes of EQ. Jesus had all these qualities in spades. He knew himself. He had empathy for others. He understood what motivated others, and had the skill to move people in the direction he wanted to go. Finally, he knew how to regulate his own actions, motivations, and fears. The Gospel stories of his interactions with friend and foe alike illustrate his EQ.

While I had self-awareness and empathy, I wasn’t always clear on what motivated others, or how to move everyone in the direction I sensed God was calling us to. That means my ability to self-regulate was limited. I did what I knew how to do—persuade, cajole, inspire, push—trying harder and harder. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. I didn’t know sometimes people need facts and figures rather than emotion and inspiration. I didn’t know sometimes people need advance notice to figure things out and get on board.

Doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results is one definition of insanity. It’s a prescription for burnout, too.

Church leaders can’t save the church, and shouldn’t try. Decline is bigger than we are. Instead of our sole focus being to boost giving, attendance, and baptisms, we need a focus that is larger than ourselves. That means keeping one eye on our current constituency and another on the needs and possibilities in the communities around us. If we attend to those things well, the church will likely thrive too.

Jesus had his eye on the Kingdom of God which required a complete re-focusing of spiritual and religious energies. Out of this vision emerged not only the creation of a brand-new movement now called Christianity, but a stronger, re-invented Judaism as well.

I took decline personally. I figured the answer was to do more, demand more, spend more time, and take less vacations. That didn’t work. It simply caused burnout. Decline is overcome with a bigger vision and a change in consciousness, not more effort.

Leadership development for leaders is not an oxymoron or a redundancy. Most of us get 3-9 semester hours of leadership development in seminary or course of study. The rest of it comes from intentional continuing education. That’s how I became a leadership developer. Instead of slogging alone through years of nagging self-doubt, disempowerment and victimhood—like I had—I wanted to create a new conversation. So I developed what I learned into a useable, accessible format for others.

The culture of decline cannot produce a culture of renewal. Because we church leaders—locally and nationally—are used to operating in a culture of decline, our thinking is unconsciously limited by that. We’re more used to scarcity than abundance. It’s easier to tick off reasons why we can’t rather than reasons why we can. Effective leadership development is grounded in a different kind of culture. Creating a Culture of Renewal® requires a focus on Jesus’ own empowerment of us and the structures he employed to cultivate it. That includes high expectations, life-giving accountability, miracle-making, acknowledgement, and celebration.

Next Steps

I confess that I didn’t know any of this when I graduated seminary, or when I pastored three churches. I knew what didn’t work, but I couldn’t quite figure out what would work. That took lots of trial and error. In the 15 years since leaving local church ministry, fellow travelers have joined me on the journey and discovered their own path to effective leadership.

If you would like to learn how to step into greater leadership by becoming an emotionally intelligent, Jesus-empowered, visionary leader who can create a culture of renewal, join me for my free Introduction to Creating a Culture of Renewal®!

Originally published August 2022.

Was Jesus a Jew or a Christian? And Does it Matter?

by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Apr 3, 2023

“Was Jesus a Jew? Or was Jesus a Christian?” These are the first two questions I pose when leading workshops on the Jewish roots of Christianity. About half the hands go up for Jewish. More go up for Christian. Several for both. A few aren’t sure how to respond.

How would you respond? Does it matter?

Here’s the truth. Not only was Jesus Jewish but so were his closest disciples and almost all of his first followers. In fact, the whole movement was decidedly Jewish. It wasn’t until after his death that the movement spread to include many Gentiles. Well into the fourth century and in some places longer, Jewish followers of Jesus practiced Judaism, retaining their Jewish identity.

In this blog post, I will discuss how Jesus and his disciples were most aligned with the Pharisees of the time, and how their Jewish identity not only helped establish the origins of Christianity but also helped preserve the Jewish roots of the faith. I’ll also address the issues church leaders must attend to in order to uplift Jesus without condemning Jews.

1. Jesus the Pharisee

One of the most frequently misunderstood aspects of Jesus is his relationship with the Pharisees. In the Gospels, Jesus is often depicted arguing with the Pharisees, but the Pharisees were not the enemy of Jesus. The debates between Jesus and the Pharisees were vigorous discussions between colleagues about specific interpretations, beliefs, and practices of the Torah. In many ways, Jesus was very much aligned with this Jewish sect. His teachings and practices were deeply influenced by their teachings, including the Golden Rule.

So what were the Pharisees? They were a progressive lay movement that wanted “to renew and extend the observance of Jewish practice in society.” To increase people’s sensitivity to holiness, the Pharisees “made a fence around the law. In other words, they established behavioral boundaries around God’s commandments. That way, they could be sure of not sinning by refraining from what leads to sin. Like the Pharisees, Jesus was, at his very core, a reformer who cared about holiness.

2. Jesus and his Jewish Disciples

Not only was Jesus a Jew in good standing, but so were his disciples. They were all practicing Jews, following the traditions and customs of Judaism. The disciples continued to follow Jewish customs, such as Sabbath observance, even after the resurrection of Jesus. They knew that their faith in Jesus as Messiah did not require them to abandon the Jewish traditions of their forebears. Jesus had transformed their understanding of the Jewish faith, but their Jewish identity remained intact.

Even the way that Jesus instructed the disciples was entirely Jewish. For Jesus and other Torah teachers of his day, disciple-making was a hands-on venture that required one’s whole being. No wonder Jesus advised his students to count the cost of discipleship. It was steep! One scholar notes that this itinerant teacher/student form of learning was the ancient equivalent of postdoctoral work; disciples could only manage it for three years. After that, they would go back to a more normal life of fishing, or masonry. In Rabbi Jesus’ classroom, instruction was not removed, or academic. Rather it was intense, hands on learning.

3. The Early Jewish Christian Community

The early Christian community was predominantly Jewish, and Christianity was initially seen as a movement within Judaism. Jewish Christians continued to follow Jewish customs and traditions. There is evidence that some Jewish Christians continued to practice Judaism while believing in Jesus as the Messiah; this is part of the context behind the book of Hebrews.

The early Jewish Christians saw their faith as an extension of Judaism, not a replacement for it. Jesus and his disciples had made clear that Christianity was rooted in the same God worshiped by the Jews and was part of the same covenantal tradition. Unlike later Christian denominations, which began to distance themselves from Judaism, early Jewish Christians embraced the Scriptures and customs of their Jewish heritage while also honoring and venerating Jesus as Messiah and Lord.

4. The Jewish Roots of Christianity

Jesus was Jewish, and so were his followers. Christianity began as a Jewish movement, and its roots can still be seen today. The Jewish identity of Jesus and his disciples helps us understand the origins of Christianity and reminds us of our connections to Jewish traditions. As we move forward as Christians, we must strive to respect and honor the Jewish identity that Jesus and his disciples embodied.

Why it Matters that Jesus and His Followers were Jews

Today, many Christians forget the Jewish identity of both Jesus and his followers. That poses a problem that church leaders must attend to.

When Jesus is seen as a Christian who stood against Jews, especially Pharisees, it sets up an ugly “us vs. them” dynamic between Christians and Jews of today. If we forget that Jesus and his movement were primarily Jewish, then Jews become the enemy of Christianity, or those who must be converted to, or simply ignoramuses. These attitudes are dangerous. Violent anti-Semitism is on the rise worldwide. Hurting or killing Jews in the name of Jesus is the worst perversion of Christianity.

In the polarized world in which we live, loving one’s neighbor as oneself, which is both a Jewish and Christian teaching, means Christians are bound to respect, honor, and value Jews. Christian leaders can play a vital role in this expression of Jesus’ teaching.

Just as Jesus and the Pharisees sought renewal and reform, you may be that kind of leader, too. Check out our approach to renewal through Creating a Culture of Renewal®.

Adapted and excerpted from The Jew Named Jesus:Discover the Man and His Message, Rebekah Simon-Peter, 2013.

How to Preach Holy Week Without Condemning Jews

by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Mar 29, 2023

As Holy Week approaches, many Christians prepare themselves to reflect on the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, this solemn occasion also carries a painful history of violence and persecution toward the Jewish people. For centuries, the church has used Holy Week as an opportunity to condemn and blame the Jews for the death of Jesus, resulting in anti-Semitic attitudes and actions, often leading to violence and discrimination.

What the church has always called Good Friday was often Bad Friday for the Jewish people. This day often came with a need for protection from the violence, hatred, and discrimination stirred up by those who preach a message of “us” against “them” or messages centered on blaming, condemning, and punishing the Jewish people for Jesus’s death.

The current rise of anti-Semitic incidents worldwide reminds Christians that we must preach Holy Week with love, empathy, and understanding for all, especially the Jewish community. This blog post will explore how to preach Holy Week without condemning Jews and provide Christians with practical steps to promote respect and solidarity during this holy season.

Acknowledge the Historical Context

As Christians, we need to recognize and acknowledge the historical context behind the passion narratives in the Gospels. Jesus and his followers were Jewish, and the crucifixion story reflects the intra-Jewish conflict of that time.

The unfolding story of Jesus in the Gospels is not a question of Jews versus Christians or Christians versus Jews. It’s not even Jesus versus the Jewish people or the Jewish people versus Jesus. There is no “us versus them.” These were Jews attempting to be faithful to God amid tremendous social upheaval.

We must remember that the gospels are first a Jewish story- we are looking through a Jewish lens. This story is ultimately about the faithfulness of God.

Avoid Blaming or Condemning Jews

I’m a big movie buff. But when The Passion of the Christ, Mel Gibson’s controversial movie about the crucifixion of Jesus, came out on Ash Wednesday 2004, I decided against seeing it. I declined based on the violence and its potential anti-Jewish themes. I was in the minority in my circles; everyone else I knew flocked to see it. One morning a few weeks after it came out, I sat in the coffee shop over breakfast with other pastors in my little Wyoming town. Talk turned to the movie and the role of Jews in Christ’s death. “I don’t know why Jews are saying this movie is anti-Semitic. After all, they did do it. The Scriptures say so,” one Southern Baptist pastor flatly stated, shaking his head with a little laugh of disbelief.

His words hit me like a ton of bricks; how could he say that? Didn’t he realize how statements like his have been used against the Jewish people for centuries? Didn’t he know of the church’s brutal history of anti-Semitism, called “the longest hatred”? Didn’t he know about the trajectory of suffering words like he had launched, culminating in the Holocaust? He may not have known. If so, he wouldn’t have been alone. You are preaching to folks that may have minimal experience with Jews or Judaism- remember to set the stage so people are not going into the sermon with a completely false assumption.

In the past, the church has used the charge of deicide, or murder of God, as an opportunity to vilify, blame, and exact revenge on Jews. Thankfully that’s changing. Vatican II 1962–1965 Council and “Nostra Aetate,” of the Roman Catholic Church, helped address itself to the modern world and absolved the Jewish people of killing Jesus. It recognized Judaism as an ongoing, living religion to be respected rather than a sign of disobedience to God.

In much the same way, your task of preaching is sacred, and it must be done with great care. This is especially true when preaching about Jesus’ death during Holy Week. As we preach the gospel message of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension to glory, we must do so without blaming or condemning Jews. Instead, we should focus on our shared humanity in a broken world–and the hope that comes through a God who brings life from death.

Educate Ourselves and Others

Many Christians are unaware of the painful history of anti-Semitism and its impact on the Jewish community. We might think of this as something we are beyond as a nation, yet sadly, anti-Semitism is still very much alive. A recent Pew Research Center article entitled, “Anti-Jewish harassment occurred in 94 countries in 2020, up from earlier years.” They share that the number of countries with documented anti-Semitic incidents has almost doubled in the last ten years, surging from 51 to 89 between 2007 and 2018, according to a recent Pew Research Center study. 198 nations worldwide were examined for government or social harassment concerning religious freedom. The most troubling fact is that 94 countries witnessed hate-filled attacks against Jewish people in 2020, ranging from verbal abuse to cemetery vandalism and blame for the COVID pandemic.

With this as the backdrop, the church should use its voice to bring attention to this issue. We must educate ourselves and others about the history of Christian anti-Semitism and how we can work to create bridges between our communities. This could be done through interfaith dialogue, advocating for human rights, promoting peace-building initiatives in conflict areas, and how we speak during times like Holy Week about Jews. As Christian leaders, it is also essential that we actively educate our congregations about anti-Semitism and its impacts on people.

Pray for Peace and Unity

Finally, we can pray for peace and unity among all people, especially during Holy Week, when we reflect on Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice for humanity. Let’s pray for healing and reconciliation between Christians and Jews and with all people of faith and goodwill. Let’s pray for an end to anti-Semitism and all forms of hatred and discrimination.

As we approach Holy Week, remember the transformative message of Jesus’ love and compassion for all people. Let’s preach Holy Week with empathy, understanding, and love for all, including the Jewish community, who have suffered far too long from anti-Semitic attitudes and actions. Let’s commit to educating ourselves and others, collaborating with the Jewish community, and praying for peace and unity. We can build a better world rooted in justice, compassion, and love.

If you want to learn more about Jesus and the roots of faith in Jewish tradition, I urge you to pick up a copy of my book “The Jew Named Jesus: Discover the Man and His Message.”

The Secret Connection between Hanukkah, Advent, and Christmas

by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Dec 5, 2022

Everywhere you turn, lights shine in the darkness, proclaiming that God’s eternal presence is with us. Homes, trees, and buildings are draped with colorful Christmas lights. Pink and purple advent candles beautify Christian sanctuaries. And for eight nights during this season, Jewish homes and spaces are also adorned with Hanukkah menorahs. (Toward the end of the month, persons of African descent will honor the principles of Kwanzaa with seven candles, too.)

While Hanukkah is a distinctly Jewish holiday, and Christmas is a distinctly Christian holiday, the two are actually more connected than you might think. In fact, in some ways, Hanukkah is actually the original Advent.

Let me explain.

The History of Hanukkah

Hanukkah, also known as the Feast of Dedication, commemorates the re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem after its utter desecration at the brutal hands of a tyrant named Antiochus Epiphanes. All this took place about 165 years before the birth of Christ. Although Hanukkah only gets a line or two in the New Testament, it plays a massive role in the birth of Jesus.

To explain that, we have to go back in history over three hundred years before the birth of Christ to Alexander the Great. At that time, he ruled the ancient world around the Eastern Mediterranean. After conquering the Persian Empire, Greek Culture or Hellenism spread like wildfire. The Jews living in Israel quickly found themselves surrounded and almost swallowed up by it.

Hellenism was to the ancient world what Western culture is to the modern world. Just as you can find a McDonald’s in just about every corner of the world, not to mention American pop music, blue jeans, TV re-runs, Western-style Christianity, and the English language, so in that day, you could find Greek culture, religion, and language permeating every other culture of the world. It wasn’t all good. Especially for those in the minority, like the Jews, it put their unique way of life at risk.

After Alexander died, his empire eventually fell into the hands of one Antiochus IV Epiphanes. While Epiphanes means “face of God,” the Jews called him “Epimanes,” which means “crazy man.” That’s precisely what he was. Gregory Rommon calls him “the Adolf Hitler of the inter-testament period.” Like Hitler, he was obsessed with wiping out the Jewish people. He began with the slaughter of Jerusalem’s inhabitants and the Temple’s desecration.

Alfred Edersheim explains what happened in his book, “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah:” “All sacrifices, the service of the Temple, and the observance of the Sabbath and feast days were prohibited; the Temple at Jerusalem was dedicated to Jupiter Olympus (a Greek god); the Torah was searched for and destroyed; the Jews forced to take part in heathen rites; in short, every insult was heaped on the religion of the Jews, and it’s every trace to be swept away.” Antiochus was bent on genocide.

The final straw was the slaughter of a pig on the sacrificial altar in the Temple. Definitely not kosher. This occurred on the 25th of Kislev, the month that generally corresponds to December.

Well, this atrocity cut the Jewish people to the core. The Temple was the center of Jewish life. It was the icon of all that was holy and meaningful. It was the place where God dwelled! The Jewish people weren’t going to take this lying down.

And so a deliverer rose up whose name was Mattathias. Outnumbered and overpowered, under his leadership, the Jewish people began a campaign of guerilla warfare against Antiochus and his Syrian armies to reclaim the Temple.

Mattathias died fighting, but his five sons carried on, one of whose name you might know: Judah Maccabee (which means hammer). He led the fighting till the Temple could finally be purified and its services restored. Exactly three years after its desecration, the Temple was rededicated with the lighting of the Ner Tamid, the eternal light that burned to signify the presence of God. It was on the 25th of Kislev, about 165 years before the birth of Christ.

Hanukkah is an Advent Story

While Hanukkah has its own meaning, in some ways, it is actually an Advent story. Without Hanukkah, there would be no Christmas. If Antiochus had carried out his plan, there would have been no Mary, Joseph, or Jesus. There would have been no Messiah of Israel, no Savior of the World. And you and I would not be Christians today.

Jesus owed his life to Hanukkah. In a sense, Christians owe their faith to it. As the rhyme goes, “Roses are reddish; Violets are bluish; if it weren’t for Christmas, we’d all be Jewish!” But if it weren’t for Hanukkah, there’d be no Jews or Christians!

And so, amid this Advent Season, let us remember the minor Jewish holiday that makes the major Christian one possible. Even though Hanukkah is mentioned once in the New Testament, it’s an important backdrop to one of his most profound statements. It was on the Feast of Dedication that Jesus said: “The Father and I are one.” That statement of unity changed the world.

Unity for Today

Today, we’re still seeking to create a world of unity. In the chaos and division that we see all around us, God calls us to stand up for one another in love and grace so that the light of Christ might be seen. A love that binds together what is divided; a hope that can move mountains of despair, a faith that can overcome any obstacle. This is the miracle of Hanukkah and the promise of Christmas.

In a time when anti-Semitism and many other -isms are on the rise, Hanukkah reminds us that we must stand together against all forms of injustice, violence, and hate. It tells us that no matter what, we must allow others the freedom and dignity to worship God in their own way, too.

And so this Advent, as Christmas approaches and Hanukkah comes, may we remember the message of unity it brings us. May we take every opportunity to honor one another’s differences and celebrate our common humanity. And may God grant us the ability to be light in a world of darkness.

Differences aren’t bad or evil. And they needn’t lead to chaos or division. Instead, differences can bring joy and strength. Join me for 3 Steps to Engage Conflict Productively to learn how you can be part of the solution.

Embracing a Jewish Jesus

by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Apr 12, 2022

This week we celebrate the miracle around which Christian life revolves: the death and resurrection of Jesus. It makes me wonder if we are truly ready to embrace a Jewish Jesus.

Jesus is seen as a Jew in many pulpits and pews, but usually as an exception, an anomaly. In too many sermons, commentaries, and hymnals, his teachings on love, inclusion, and forgiveness are set up as a contrast against the Jews and Judaism of his day. What makes him distinctive, we say, is that he’s not like the other Jews. He reached people on the margins. He talked to women. He ate with sinners and tax collectors. But these characterizations of a Jewish Jesus are still distorted.

Dr. Amy-Jill Levine explains why:

“Jesus becomes the rebel who, unlike every other Jew, practices social justice. He is the only one to speak with women; he is the only one who teaches nonviolent responses to oppression; he is the only one who cares about the “poor and the marginalized” (that phrase has become a litany in some Christian circles). Judaism becomes in such discourse a negative foil: whatever Jesus stands for, Judaism isn’t it; what Jesus is against, Judaism epitomizes the category.”

Yes, Jesus reached out to all kinds of people. Yes, he counseled mercy and patience. Yes, he healed and set people free. But rather than see Jesus as different from the Jews around him, I suggest it is time to see Jesus’ ministry as a natural evolution of the whole history of Jewish teaching, ethics, morality, practice, and service of God. Otherwise, he serves as an archetypal anti-Jew.

Think about it. If Jesus was fully Jewish, operating in a Jewish context, living a Jewish life, studying Jewish texts, praying to a Jewish God, clothing himself in the Jewish commandments, where else did it come from? If we believe that Jesus was one with the God of Israel, then surely, Jesus drew upon the same Source and sources that inspired all the other teachers, miracle-workers, prophets, and kings that preceded and surrounded him. Quite often the rabbis of his era were arriving at the same conclusions he was, from the Golden Rule, to teachings on Sabbath, to the importance of love of God and neighbor. Others were engaged in calling disciples, healing, and miracle-working. Even his interactions with women, children, and Gentiles were not anomalous.

More than that, the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament is marked by theological and behavioral leaps, beginning with Abraham’s innovation that God is one, not many; continuing with Moses’ skilled but previously unknown leadership in leading the Israelites from slavehood to peoplehood; game-changing visions from prophets; and the courageous renewal of Judaism under Nehemiah and Ezra after the return from Babylonian exile. Jesus is the product of generations of Jewish innovators, completely in line with the spiritual genius that went before him and even those that came after him.

If we were to truly embrace a fully Jewish Jesus, it would take a renewed scholarship among preachers, prayers, poets, professors, and Bible study writers and teachers. It would take some work to leave behind comfortable but dishonest dichotomies and ready stereotypes. Not easy for already overworked church leaders. But there are many excellent resources that can help, many of which I note in my book The Jew Named Jesus. It’s worth the effort. We are grand participants in a historic reconciliation, the fruits of which are only beginning to be realized.

This historic reconciliation points out an underlying truth: it hasn’t always been good between Christians and Jews. A long history of Christian teaching of “contempt of the Jews” made positive interfaith relations all but impossible for centuries. After hitting a theological bottom in the Holocaust, though, the church has intentionally hammered out new theologies and reached for new understandings that allow for love, acceptance, and embrace of Jews. In response, Jews have done the hard work of forgiving and rapprochement too.

However, a worldwide uptick in anti-Semitic crimes, including synagogue attacks, bombings, and the targeted killing of Jews, undermines this progress. But would this anti-Semitism have any traction if we truly embraced a fully Jewish Jesus? In good Jewish fashion, I assert that even the question is a good one.

It leads to all kinds of other interesting questions. If Judaism and Christianity could hammer out a new relationship, is the same possible for Christianity and Islam? If we could, should we?

This letter to Christian leaders, created by Muslim clerics and scholars, “A Common Word Between Us and You,” stated that as the two largest world religions, the peace of the world depends on peace between Muslims and Christians. It used as its reference point the Hebrew Bible teachings of love of God and neighbor, saying they were common to both Islam and Christianity. More recently, House of One, a faith center in Berlin, is being built as “a house of encounter” between three religions – Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. This prayer and teaching center will serve as a place for the three religions to coexist peacefully.

We have the opportunity to turn a new page. To restore and revamp our understandings of Jesus and Judaism. And to open our hearts to new understandings of our Muslim neighbors. What a great start to the Easter season this would be.

They’re risky moves for sure. Especially in an age of polarization and blame-game politics. But isn’t that when the resurrection is needed most?

Christian Traditions and a Young Jewish Boy

by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Dec 14, 2021

As our awareness of different cultures and traditions grows, it’s good to remember that woven right within our Christian traditions are older, more diverse practices. Jesus, for example, is Jewish. Some of the traditions and practices that Jesus experienced as a Jewish boy and man were adopted by Christians so long ago that we often don’t see their origins as anything but Christian.

I write about this in my book, The Jew Named Jesus. One such instance took place on the eighth day of Christmas.

You mean, eight maids a-milking?
Nope!

On the eighth day of Christmas – after Jesus is born in a humble feeding trough, after the angels sing “Glory to God in the Highest” and announce news of great joy to all the people, after the shepherds, amazed, run to Bethlehem, but before the Magi come bearing gifts – Jesus is formally welcomed into the Jewish people.

The eighth day of Christmas, as it were, is when Jesus is circumcised and named. The ancient rite of circumcision, first practiced by Abraham as a sign of the covenant with God, is routinely performed in hospitals now. But not then.

And then as now, circumcision is the first and most basic mitzvah (commandment or law) to be fulfilled by a Jewish baby boy.

“This is my covenant which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskins and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. Throughout your generations every male among you shall be circumcised when he is 8 days old…” Genesis 17:10-12a

Jesus isn’t the first Jewish boy whose circumcision is noted in the New Testament. Don’t forget cousin John’s, also on the eighth day. His naming and miraculous birth is mentioned as well.

“Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. But his mother said, “No, he is to be called John.’” Luke 1: 57-60

Circumcision is a permanent sign, etched in the flesh, of partnership with God. Even more than lineage and ancestry, circumcision anchors these boys, and their families, firmly in the Jewish community.

At his circumcision Jesus is also named with “the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.” (Luke 2:21) By the way, it should be noted that girls are named too, but not circumcised.

shekels, traditions

About a month after Jesus’ circumcision, Joseph and Mary come to Jerusalem. There they present Jesus to the Lord in the ancient practice of redemption of the firstborn son (pidyon ha ben). Since Jesus is Mary’s firstborn, and, as the author of Colossians later asserts, “the firstborn of all creation” (1:15), he is presented then bought back or redeemed after he reaches 31 days old. This is another ancient Torah practice.

Joseph and Mary would have paid a small sum (five silver shekels in biblical times; today, usually five silver dollars) and performed a brief ritual in the Temple to fulfill the mitzvah. (Numbers 18:15-16)

While the family is at the Temple for the redemption ceremony, two righteous and devout Jews, Simeon, and the prophetess, Anna, recognize Jesus as a sign of God’s salvation. They praised God, for this “light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel” who would himself redeem Jerusalem. (Luke 2:32, 2:38)

From his earliest days, Jesus is raised in a strong and beautiful Jewish home by devout parents. From circumcision to naming to redemption to offering sacrifices, Mary and Joseph do “everything required by the law of the Lord.”

Not from a sense of empty duty or obligation, I suspect, but a profound connection to God, the Torah, and the love of their child, Jesus.After these mitzvot (plural of mitzvah) are fulfilled, Jesus and his parents “returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.” At home in Nazareth the mitzvot, blessings, prophesies, and praises take root: “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.” (Luke 2:39-40).

That little Jewish child became the leader we follow and emulate. Join me for the Platinum Rule Leadership for Changing Times and learn how, like Jesus, you too can lead with self-awareness, forgiveness, compassion, and understanding.

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