Finding Faith, Losing Faith: Stories of Conversion and Apostasy

2 Leaving the Synagogue, Finding the Church: When Jews Become Messianic Jews

65 } ~2~ Leaving the Synagogue, Finding the Church When Jews Become Messianic Jews Tears streamed down my face as God had provided solid confirmation that believing in Jesus was the most Jewish thing I could ever do. ~Lev Leigh, Messianic Jewish convert We may forget that the first “converts” to Jesus were all Jewish converts, even if it is not always clear in what sense they were converts. They surely weren’t yet converting to a new religion, the way a modern Orthodox Jew who converts today to Roman Catholicism would do. The struggle the first Christians had in their conversions, as well as with modern Jews, was with the “scandal” of the cross. If crucifixion demonstrates that one is cursed by God—which is what Paul says in Galatians 3:10-14 and which surely came out of his interaction with opponents to his McKnight Faith final.indd 65 5/22/08 11:27:31 AM 66 Finding Faith, Losing Faith gospel—then conversion is in part a conversion to a crucified Messiah. Conversion to such a Messiah was against the odds. Christians have long caricatured the (conversion ) story of Peter and his infamous struggle with Jesus’ words that he was to die on a cross (Mark 8). He calls Jesus “Messiah” and Jesus announces his upcoming death at the hands of the Jewish leaders . Peter immediately counters Jesus’ expectations; Jesus pushes back against him. How do we explain Peter’s struggle with Jesus here? Simply put, Christians have all too easily assumed and speculated about what Peter, as a Jew, must have expected in the Messiah. Peter, it is often stated, needed to have his view of the Messiah changed. But how do we know what Peter thought about the Messiah? We speculate. Is there a better way? I think so. Instead of speculating about Peter’s supposed theology, we might better take the life of Mary as presented in the Gospel, and here I will draw upon my own popular study, The Real Mary. Mary’s Magnificat, found in Luke 1:46-55, is the best record we have of the messianic expectation of the first-century, poor, pious Jew. Inherent to her expectation is a Davidic ruler who will chase Roman leadership home and assume leadership in Jerusalem ; also inherent to her vision is justice for the poor and turning the tables on the rich. Her expectation, found also in Zechariah’s Benedictus (Luke 1:67-79), is only strengthened by Jesus’ first sermon (Luke 4:18-19), his beatitudes (6:20-26), and his answer to McKnight Faith final.indd 66 5/22/08 11:27:31 AM Leaving the Synagogue, Finding the Church 67 John’s disciples (7:18-23). In short, she expects victory as some kind of revolution against Rome, and Jesus seems to go along with the same idea. There was, however, a darker horizon that for awhile could be brushed aside by someone like Peter or Mary but which Jesus has clearly in view. No wonder then that Mary struggles with Jesus. He seems to have a self-consciousness that pushes her into the background; at twelve he can assert that he is listening to another voice besides hers and Joseph’s (Luke 2:41-51), and early in his public ministry he reminds her that he’s listening to the Father and awaiting the Father’s timing (John 2:1-11). Mary finally gets fed up with Jesus’ endless fellowshipping with the wrong sorts, his choice to deal death blows to demons, and his calling of rather nondescript Galileans to extend his kingdom vision. She gathers her children into a bundle, heads down from Nazareth to Capernaum, raps on what was probably “Peter’s” house and, convinced as she is that Jesus is out of his mind, summons him to his senses and back to Nazareth (Mark 3:21, 31-35). Jesus will have none of it, and he reminds her once again that his view of “Messiah” is not what she thinks Messiah is. He is gathering a new family who will listen to his teachings and follow him to the cross. We don’t hear from Mary again until the crucifixion (John 19:25), but because she forms an integral part of the earliest Christian community in Jerusalem (Acts 1:14) we can assume with near certainty that Mary embraced the cross. McKnight Faith final...