Catholics and Jews and Jesus, the King

By Jaymie Stuart Wolfe

As we slide toward the end of another liturgical year and the Solemnity of Christ the King, war in the Holy Land is sadly dominating the headlines once again. So are reports of not just threatened but actual attacks against Jews around the world. To borrow from General Douglas MacArthur, it's proof that old demons never die, and they don't just fade away either.

But how should Catholics understand and interpret what is going on in our world?

The persecution of Jews is one of humanity's oldest surviving "hate crimes," though I hesitate to use that term. Long before Christians were crucified, stoned, beheaded, or thrown to wild beasts, the Jewish people were an object of scorn and discrimination. Oppression and deportation began as early as 605 BC, under the Second Babylonian (or Chaldean) Empire. Less than two hundred years before Christ, the Seleucids banned sacrifice, sabbaths, feasts, and circumcision and made owning a copy of their sacred writings an offense punishable by death. Things got even worse when Rome destroyed both the Temple and the city of Jerusalem in AD 70. And that was followed by Hadrian's second-century attempts to outlaw all Jewish religious practice.

What resulted from each of these periods was the uprooting of Jews from Judea and the establishment of significant Jewish communities throughout the ancient world. Separated from others by language, culture, creed, and the demands of Mosaic law, Jews were subject to all kinds of myths and suspicions. Perhaps worst was the misguided notion that "the Jews" should be held responsible for the death of Christ. Even though the Blessed Virgin Mary and almost all the first Christians were Jewish, this has been used as the underlying rationale for cruelty against Jews across the centuries of church history.

Even Christians who know better often forget that at his crucifixion, Jesus was identified by his executioners as the "King of the Jews" (Jn 19:19-22). The Son of God was often identified as the Son of David, that is, the fulfillment of Jewish kingship. Those who consider the ramifications of that realize that it's not enough to say that Jesus was Jewish. Jesus is still a Jew and always will be. The Incarnation of Christ in Mary's womb means that Jewish humanity is seated at the right hand of the Father.

As Catholics, we owe a significant debt of gratitude to the Jewish people. Everything we believe is rooted in what God entrusted to and revealed through them. As Jesus himself reminds us in the Gospel of John, "Salvation is from the Jews" (Jn 4:22b). And if we need a more specific list, St. Paul is more than happy to provide one. Saddened by his own people's rejection of Christ, he states, "They are the Israelites; theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; theirs the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen" (Rom 9:4-5).

Antisemitism has continued to rise around the world for the past decade, but what has unfolded since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israeli civilians demands our attention and response. This month, most of us likely didn't observe the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the Nov. 9, 1938, "night of broken glass" orchestrated by Nazi leaders against Jews in German-controlled territories. That night, 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and sent to concentration camps. It was the first mass arrest of Jews. Kristallnacht signaled a change. Antisemitism that had been expressed socially and by words exploded in acts of terrorism and violence.

October 7 may be our generation's Kristallnacht. Our most important response is more personal than public. There is no room in Catholic hearts for hatred toward Jews. If we view God's chosen people as enemies, if antisemitism is something we have been taught, we must repent of it. Of course, that doesn't mean we should be silent about ongoing injustices in the Holy Land, or war crimes that may be committed by Israel or any other country. Nor should we harbor hatred toward Muslims or anyone else. Our calling is love.

The world can be ugly, yet hope remains. Jesus Christ, King of the Jews, is also the supreme ruler of heaven and earth. He is still on the throne. His kingdom is justice and peace, and his reign eternal. And it can begin here and now in every human heart.