What Would the Jew Jesus Say?

Well White American Evangelical Christian, we need to talk.

This might be a tough conversation for us to have but we must have it and right now!

Let me begin by proclaiming what every White American Evangelical Christian should know as historical fact:

Jesus was a Jew!

Did you hear me, he was born a Jew, lived as a Jew, and was tragically executed as a Jew. He was Jewish through and through. 

He bled Jewishness. 

His skin was probably darker than yours. All those paintings you’ve seen of Jesus with blonde hair and blue eyes are misrepresentations of Jesus’ ethnic identity by white European artists. They do not line up with the facts on the ground.

So why is this important White American Evangelical Christian?

Why must I point this out to you at this time?

Well for no other reason than to say the time is ripe. 

It seems that you have overlooked the Jewishness of the one you claim to have invited into your heart as Lord and Savior.

Okay, let me back up a bit and restart.

The day the White Supremacists, Neo Nazis, and modern version of the KKK descended upon Charlottesville their rally cry was blood curdling:

“Jews will not replace us! Jews will not replace us! Jews will not replace us!”

Most Americans could not believe what they were hearing, they could not believe what they were witnessing right here in the good ole’ U.S. of A. 

It could have been happening in Berlin, or any other German town of the 1930-40s. But it wasn’t. It was taking place right before a national audience in living color in 2017.

It could not be covered up. It could not be airbrushed away. It has been video recorded to live in American history forever and ever amen.

It was breathtakingly tragic. It was as if someone had uncorked years of pent up white racial anger and rage and spewed it on the streets of one of the nation’s most charming university towns.

“Jews will not replace us! Jews will not replace us!” Jews will not replace us!”

No! These are not good people. Period!

Okay before you start your usual tactic of deflecting by offering some moral equivalency response that there were bad people demonstrating against these Jew haters let me remind you that they were not the ones chanting racial antiJewish chants. 

You can’t pass this open display of racial prejudice to them, many of whom were themselves clergy protesting such an open and public display of racial hatred.

It’s been a week or more since Charlottesville and I have yet to hear one of you White American Evangelical Christians respond publicly to this visible display of racial hatred. If I missed your unequivocal public protest then I apologize.

But maybe I do need to name some names after all. Has Franklin Graham denounced this open display of Jew hating? Has Paula White cried out in utter disgust over this open display of Antisemitism? Not a word that I have heard from Pat Robertson, or Jim Bakker, or Jerry Falwell, Jr., or Robert Jeffress.

Now I’m not talking about some benign watered down generic statement that such behavior is unacceptable. I’m talking about a clear and unequivocal calling out of these hate mongers from their pulpits and decrying any American official who does not clearly denounce them openly and without equivocation.

I’m talking about clearly denouncing such behavior as not coming anywhere close to the teaching of the Jewish Jesus.

I have not heard this kind of open response from any of you to date. 

It is needed. American Christians need to hear their spiritual leaders say unequivocally that this kind of hate mongering stands in opposition to the Jewish Jesus you all claim to follow.

If he’s in your heart, as you claim he is, then by God let him out so he can protest on your behalf.  

Quit hiding him in the dark recesses of your heart.

Of course you’re not the first to fall into the trap of wanting to blend in without notice. Consider the Apostle Peter who refused to acknowledge Jesus at his trial. He tried his best to melt cowardly into the shadows of social compliance. 

This was not Peter’s finest moment and this is not your finest moment White American Evangelical Christian. You know who you are. Even your deafening silence on Facebook speaks volumes. Where are you hiding? 

I am hoping and praying that many of you, like Peter, will regain your moral and theological compass before it’s too late. You must if your brand of white Evangelical Christianity is going to have any takers in the years to come. 

Believe me, there is a high price to pay for anyone who denies Jesus in the public square.

Just ask Peter.