We know as Christians we have a special duty to defend the Jewish people. Today I need to share with you the seven keys to praying against antisemitism.
Pray Christian Will Understand it is Our Special Duty to Fight Antisemitism
I don’t believe God declares a people His chosen and I don’t believe He gives us commandments on how to treat them only to forget them. So what does God tell us about our duty as Christians?
Romans 11:17-18 (nKJV) sates,
“And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and [a]fatness of the olive tree do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.”
This to me clearly shows the duty we have as Christians to support the root.
Understand Antisemitism Is Still a Threat to Jews – and Christians
A recent study by the Ethics and Religious Liberty Council of the Southern Baptist Convention found that in the United States,
Despite being 1.8% of the population, 56% of all anti-religious hate crimes were directed at Jews
Violent assaults increased over 50% with over 60% of all hate crimes being committed against Jews
Antisemitic incidents on campuses doubled
But Antisemitism is not just about a hatred of the Jewish people, it is a hatred of God. Think of the greatest Antisemite of the 20th century, Adolph Hitler, he was not just content to murder God’s Chosen People – no, he had a whole plan to destroy the Church and put in its place Nordic Paganism.
And so we see this same thing in our world today, attacks on Jews almost always come with attack’s on the Church.
- In Egypt, where the media and government authorities permit antisemitism to run rampant, we see persecution of the Coptic Orthodox Church; many churches have been destroyed
- In Iran, where leaders have a history of denying the Holocaust and calling for the destruction of the state of Israel, we witness the imprisonment and torture of converts to Christianity
- Where antisemitism persists in Belarus, other minority faiths are denied registration and Baptist churches are raided by the government
- In America a White Nationalist opened fire at an African American church in Charleston, South Carolina in June 2015
Pray Against the Antisemitic Mindset
Antisemitism doesn’t exist in an emotional vacuum, for its believers it is a psychological necessity.
The French writer Jean Paul Sartre once wrote about a student of his. He never studied and partied constantly. When the final class rankings were posted he was dead last. Now a healthy person would use this as an opportunity to take a long hard look at themselves. They would suppress their ego and make the hard changes they need to make.
But this student wasn’t about to take the high road. Instead he went through the list and found some Jewish names, “If it wasn’t for these Hebrews I would have passed!”
Antisemitism is like a drug addiction. It helps you ignore your failings, it teaches us it isn’t our behaviour that is wrong, it’s them. It is honestly remarkable how versatile their hatred becomes, how much it can excuse character flaws and mistakes.
Passed up for a promotion? “Must have been because the boss is a Jew and so gave it to another Jew.”
Economy faltering? “Must be those Jews stealing money and resources.”
Some you don’t like get elected? “Must be the Israelis manipulating the election.”
If Jews didn’t exist, Antisemites would need to invent them.
Have you ever listened to an Antisemite talk about the Jewish people? The level of bitterness and hate is scary. And it gets worse with time.
Again, its like a drug. It gives you an easy out from your problems, and so your problems never get dealt with. Instead your life suffers and so you need a stronger hit, the fear and hatred of Jews gets stronger and stronger until it consumes you with bitterness.
Pray against it!
Pray Against the Spiritual Roots of Antisemitism
I spend a great deal of life in prayer, and the one thing it has taught me is the truth of,Ephesians 6:12,
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
And the history of Antisemitism points that out. Whether it was Hitler, Stalin or Antiochus Epiphanes, a hatred of the Jews comes with a hatred of God and we must pray against it.
Do you believe God has a Plan for us all? Do you believe the Bible’s words that the Jews are central to that plan?
I do.
I believe what God has done establishing the State of Israel, and what he is doing bringing Christians and Jews together is the most important thing happening in the world right now.
And so Satan rallies against it.
Pray Christians come to see the Satanic origins of Antisemitism.
Pray Christians will Properly Confront Antisemitism
In Law Enforcement there is something called the “Broken Windows” theory. In neighborhoods that are well kept criminals are less likely to commit felonies. Maybe there is a Neighborhood Watch, or maybe police patrol there more regularly. It can be a bit taxing to keep a neighborhood in good repair if you are a civilian but it is worth it.
But once broken windows appear in a neighborhood it is a sign of neglect, and criminals move in. It is a beacon that screams, “We are not vigilant, we do not care about the health of our community.”
Police are ever vigilant against this, and we must be equally vigilant in dealing with Antisemtism.
Let’s take a moment a look at a depressingly common situation with friends or coworkers. You are sitting around chatting when one says something like “I was getting a new car the other day, but the salesman really Jew’d me on the price.” You pause for a moment, as you weigh the cost of making a bit of a scene vs having a nice pleasant evening, so you let it slide.
But here is the thing, most people sadly have some degree of Antisemitic attitudes. I have even heard it in Churches. When you are silent you are tacitly supporting the person, you are more or less saying, out loud, “Yah Antisemitism is acceptable, at least in some quantity.”
Over time that person, or others in your group might express similar beliefs. You have become in essence a broken window, when you need to be a vigilant Christian looking out for the safety of those in their community.
Pray Against the Spread of Antisemitic Lies
Pray Christians will not believe “The Jews Killed Christ.” This is absurd when you realize that Jesus, His disciples were Jews. Nevertheless John Chrysostom- called a Saint! – accused the Jews of Deicide, the murder of God. A crime for which “no expiation was Possible”.
Pray Christians will not come to believe in “ZOG Conspiracies”. ZOG means “Zionist Occupied Government”, a neo nazi belief that America and several other countries are in fact run by and for Jews. Now this is absurd as Jews are like anyone else, with conflicting interests and politics, but to an Antisemite the Jews are a single mass stretching out across the Earth.
Pray Christians will move beyond slurs of Jews being “money grubbing” or “self obsessed.” In the Middle Ages the Catholic Church believed that earning interest on a loan was sinful, and so they only allowed Jews to pursue banking with interest. After all, if the Jews were going to Hell anyway, what difference would it make if their hands got a bit more dirty? And so the Jews did find success in banking. But what do Antisemites choose to say in return? To add to the attack by forcing them into a trade and then attacking them for it!
Pray Christians care for Holocaust Survivors in their final days.
Many Christians were too frightened to oppose the Nazis and the Final Solution, but there is something Christians can do today.
Right now one in three Israeli Holocaust Survivors live in poverty, unable to cover food, medication and rent.
Learn their prayer needs, because they need your prayers urgently.