The text and terror
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews ...
[John 20.19a]
The text of the New Testament has long been used as a stick with which to beat our Jewish brethren, whether it's the so called blood curse of Matthew 27.25, where the crowd in Jerusalem say that the blood of Christ (representing guilt for his death is upon them and their children (when actually is it upon the whole of Creation, and by it we are redeemed), or this text. However, as with Matthew 27.25, this text is far more nuanced than first meets the eye.
Fear of the Jews
They disciples had gone into hiding for fear of the Jews, that is clear enough. But it is not the feat we might feel because of inter-faith persecution, it is not like a Hindus attacking Muslims in India, rather it's a case of two portions of the same faith disagreeing with one another. The fear may come from the threat that the Jesus movement (the disciples) posed to the peace Jerusalem and the Pax Romana in Palestine. (Don't forget that the High Priest Caiaphas had said it was better that one man to die for the peace of Jerusalem, than bring down the wrath of Rome for failing to keep that peace, John 11.50.)
What we are seeing in effect is the outcome of a falling out between two members of the same family, because at this time the disciples were all Jews. It's an argument that like any disagreement is damaging, but not it's definitely not the same as two separate communities coming to blows, because as a community the disciples had not yet been formed into a reform movement within Judaism, let alone a faith separate from it. Therefore any attempt ot use this text to attack our Jewish brethren not only does great damage to the text, but also to our relations with our parent faith. It should not be used as a text of terror, to borrow a phrase from the Feminist theologian Phyllis Tribble.
We should pray therefore, not that our Jewish neighbours should change who they are, but that we seek to better learn from them the origins of our own faith, and how their understanding of their faith can help us grow in ours.
[John 20.19a]
The text of the New Testament has long been used as a stick with which to beat our Jewish brethren, whether it's the so called blood curse of Matthew 27.25, where the crowd in Jerusalem say that the blood of Christ (representing guilt for his death is upon them and their children (when actually is it upon the whole of Creation, and by it we are redeemed), or this text. However, as with Matthew 27.25, this text is far more nuanced than first meets the eye.
Fear of the Jews
They disciples had gone into hiding for fear of the Jews, that is clear enough. But it is not the feat we might feel because of inter-faith persecution, it is not like a Hindus attacking Muslims in India, rather it's a case of two portions of the same faith disagreeing with one another. The fear may come from the threat that the Jesus movement (the disciples) posed to the peace Jerusalem and the Pax Romana in Palestine. (Don't forget that the High Priest Caiaphas had said it was better that one man to die for the peace of Jerusalem, than bring down the wrath of Rome for failing to keep that peace, John 11.50.)
What we are seeing in effect is the outcome of a falling out between two members of the same family, because at this time the disciples were all Jews. It's an argument that like any disagreement is damaging, but not it's definitely not the same as two separate communities coming to blows, because as a community the disciples had not yet been formed into a reform movement within Judaism, let alone a faith separate from it. Therefore any attempt ot use this text to attack our Jewish brethren not only does great damage to the text, but also to our relations with our parent faith. It should not be used as a text of terror, to borrow a phrase from the Feminist theologian Phyllis Tribble.
We should pray therefore, not that our Jewish neighbours should change who they are, but that we seek to better learn from them the origins of our own faith, and how their understanding of their faith can help us grow in ours.
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