KEHILAT ARIEL MESSIANIC SYNAGOGUE NEWSLETTER
Volume 21, Number 4, March/April 2005
Adar/Nissan 5765
Email- ka@KehilatAriel.org
Mail- P.O. Box 178755, San Diego, CA 92177 Phone- (858) 490-4355
Barney Kasdan Messianic Rabbi
Why Be Part of a Messianic Synagogue?
By Rabbi Barney Kasdan
We live in a day of amazing religious diversity and options. Many are drawn to varying alternatives from the eastern and metaphysical traditions. In the Judeo-Christian world, there are a plethora of options of both churches and synagogues. While many would claim a personal, spiritual faith today, it often does not translate into involvement in any religious community. With this almost unending array of choices, why would a person (Jew or non-Jew) choose to affiliate with a messianic synagogue? In our 23 years of existence at Kehilat Ariel, I have seen some compelling reasons. First, a messianic synagogue enables a Jewish person to continue in their rich heritage even while they embrace Yeshua as Messiah. This may seem obvious to some but, frankly, it has not always been the case in history. More often than not, if a Jewish person wanted to believe in Yeshua they were pressured to give up their identity and assimilate into the Gentile forms of Christianity. While we affirm the vital place of the church, it is very difficult in practical terms for a Jew to retain their biblical identity. Messianic synagogues provide a community for Jewish believers to continue with our holy days and culture. It has been one of the greatest ironies of history that many times when a Jew professed belief in their Jewish Messiah that they were then asked to change their culture! If Yeshua is indeed the Messiah, then we would expect him to be the final piece of the puzzle for our faith, not to take us away from it. In his own words, Yeshua said he came not to abolish the Torah and the Prophets, but to fulfill (Matthew 5:17). The life of his earliest believers (all Jews) also testifies that this is how they understood the teaching of Yeshua. Decades after his resurrection, it is recorded that there were many thousands of Messianic Jews in Jerusalem and that they were all zealous for the Torah (Acts 21:20). Saul/Paul who is often misunderstood on this point, even exhorts the Jewish believers in Yeshua to continue in their God-given calling and not become "uncircumcised" (I Corinthians 7:17-18). Most contemporary Jewish believers appreciate their heritage and know that they should live it somehow. The messianic synagogue is the most logical solution. It offers the Jewish believer a place to not only talk about their heritage but to live it out in practical terms. Instead of just reminiscing about by-gone days of our bar mitzvah, we can continue to grow in our faith within the blessing of our Jewish heritage. Not only that, but the messianic synagogue provides the most viable answer for the kids of Messianic Jews. Understandably, the average church does not provide a Hebrew School, bar mitzvah training or High Holy Days. Yet the average synagogue, while strong on Jewish heritage, does not incorporate Yeshua as the cornerstone of our faith. Only in the messianic synagogue can we have the best of both worlds; both of which are important in the eyes of G-d. Messianic Jewish kids will more naturally be able to integrate their heritage with their faith in Messiah without neglecting either. |
Second, a messianic synagogue serves as a distinctive reminder to the larger Jewish community as to the Jewish foundation of the New Testament faith. Too often we have thought that the faith in Yeshua was "another religion" that certainly is not Jewish. From outward appearances at times, it is easy to see the confusion. Most followers of Yeshua/Jesus today are not from a Jewish background and express their faith in various cultures that are significantly different from Judaism. Again, I emphasize that this is not necessarily wrong but we must admit it looks different from what the average Jew grew up with. However, when there is a thriving messianic synagogue community, it is a practical, living picture that the faith of Yeshua is entirely built on a Jewish foundation. Jewish holy days and customs are seen as going quite naturally with the belief that Yeshua is the promised Mashiach. While this does not guarantee that the Jewish community will suddenly embrace Yeshua, but it at least opens the door of understanding that maybe it is a possibility for me. In this sense, the messianic synagogue actually removes some of the traditional barriers that have kept many Jews from considering Yeshua. It can become a new thought that maybe one can still be a Jew in practical terms while believing in this proclaimed Messiah.Third, a messianic synagogue serves as a distinctive reminder to the Christian/Church community as to their own Jewish roots. How ironic that many Christians (who by definition believe in the Jewish Messiah) do not understand this truth. Paul used the analogy that the non-Jews are literally grafted into the rich root of the olive tree which is a biblical picture of Israel (cf. Romans 11:17; Jeremiah 11:16). Perhaps the apostle felt the need to write this to the early believers of Rome because some were already straying from the Jewish moorings. Church history would subsequently be filled with much confusion, assimilation to paganism and even anti-Semitism in various quarters. I have to believe that much of this could have been averted in the Church had always appreciated its own Jewish foundations. The modern messianic synagogue is an important picture for all Christians to remember and better understand their own roots. Although the messianic synagogue is sometimes viewed as controversial, both in the Jewish and Church communities, I believe it is that very entity that can be a bridge of understanding and even reconciliation between the two large groups. For many Gentile believers, the messianic synagogue has been the ideal place to learn more of their own faith and to be a blessing to their Jewish brothers. The messianic synagogue is the most powerful picture of Jew and Gentile standing together in Messiah in a spirit of reconciliation! Nu? So what does this all mean to you? I encourage all of our readers, both Jew and Gentile, to consider the distinctive calling of the messianic synagogue. If you are Jewish, have you checked out the message of Messianic Judaism? It is indeed possible to believe in the message of Yeshua and continue in the wonderful heritage the G-d has given us. He alone offers us abundant life as we connect with the Father. If you are not from a Jewish background, can you see and appreciate the messianic Jewish community around you? Are you supportive of your local messianic synagogue? I am thankful for many who understand and encourage us to fulfill our calling. If you are not already actively participating in the messianic synagogue, why not consider some of these important biblical reasons. |
