Three reasons we’re uncomfortable about Jewish evangelism

I’m so thankful my new book Engaging with Jewish People: Understanding Their World, Sharing Good News has now been released. I want to go to my favorite Jewish deli and celebrate with kreplach soup, a bagel, cream cheese and lox, and wash it all down with a 2 cents plain. If you don’t know what those foods are, just take it that I’m very happy.

Seriously, I have prayed about this book more than just about any other writing project or ministry event that I can remember. I am asking God to use it to encourage gentile Christians to start, renew, and deepen conversations about the Messiah and that he would, in his grace, draw my kinsmen to my savior.

When I told friends I was working on this book, I heard a recurring theme of, “Why do Christians feel so uncomfortable about Jewish evangelism?”

Some people add things like, “They’re the most likely candidates to receive the gospel.” Other people responded with head-scratching or shoulder-shrugging.

I can think of a lot of reasons why Jewish evangelism is uncomfortable. I’ll share just three in this blog.

1. Most Christians are uncomfortable with all evangelism.

Jewish evangelism just takes it up a notch. There must be some common temptation to “be ashamed” of the gospel otherwise Paul wouldn’t have gone out of his way to tell us why he wasn’t ashamed (Romans 1 v 16). Proclaiming the gospel differs dramatically from merely communicating information to the uninformed or revealing a secret to the unenlightened.

To be sure, our message is good news. But it’s also bad news that people suppress or reject. Peter’s hearers in Acts 2 were cut to the quick. Sooner or later, that happens to all people who understand our message. It’s good news that God has given us a savior. But that implies the bad news that we need a savior. In some ways, Jewish people reject the gospel for the same reasons that unsaved gentiles do. No wonder we’re uncomfortable telling people they’re dead in their sins, unable to make themselves righteous, and need to repent.

2. A tragic history

Second, there is a long, sad, unfortunate, tragic (it’s hard to find enough and satisfactory adjectives) history of Christians behaving badly toward Jewish people. Christian anti-Semitism has been and continues to be a shameful blot on the church. I expand on this in the book. When we begin conversations with Jewish people that we hope will lead to the gospel, we’re not starting with a blank canvas. We’re stepping onto a messy battlefield.

3. The devil hates the Jewish people

Third (and I probably should have mentioned this first), the devil hates the Jewish people. If indeed God has a distinct place for the Jewish people in his program for humanity, then the devil also has a place for them in his plan. Regardless of your views of eschatology, all readers of the Scriptures should see that God selected Abraham and his descendents to be “a light to the gentiles.” Should we be surprised that the evil one would want to mess up that strategy?

But despite these difficulties, God’s power and plans are greater, better, more beautiful, and unstoppable. He raises the dead, opens blind eyes, and softens stiff necks. One time, he even knocked a proud Pharisee named Saul off his donkey and remade him into the Apostle Paul. Baruch HaShem!*

*The way Hebrew speakers say “Praise the Lord.”

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