Romans 3:22-24 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Verse 23 is often quoted, but rarely in context, and depending on the translation, that generally divides sentences, not to mention thoughts. The principle that everyone has sinned is certainly important, but the Bible is generally very careful to present that reality in the context of God’s grace. That is certainly true of the equally famous verse from a little later in this letter: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) Some people like to stress the negative stuff about our guilt, and some like to make everything all “sweetness and light,” but the Bible itself is very balanced. The most important factor in this particular passage is the fact that everyone is on the same footing. The issue of Jews and Gentiles was big in the early Church and it still is today. (Actually, Paul deals with it extensively in Romans.) Where the NIV says “there is no difference,” the Japanese says, “there is no discrimination.” The blessing of being born into the covenant people of Israel does not obviate the requirement for personal faith and obedience. Antisemitism ignores this out of a jealousy toward the covenant, thereby placing antisemitism firmly on the side of sin. The war that is going on even as I write is certainly a demonstration of that. As Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:4, it is only in Christ that the dividing wall of hostility is torn down. There is plenty of hostility on both sides, but in Christ that evaporates. There are plenty of testimonies of Jews who hated Arabs and Arabs who hated Jews who, when they encountered Jesus as the Savior of all mankind, discovered they loved their brothers and sisters in Christ of whatever background. Organizations like Hamas indeed need to be dealt with very firmly, but the ultimate solution is and can only be Christ in individual hearts.

I am very blessed that I don’t think there was ever an iota of antisemitism in my family. My father got his Master degree in Hebrew, and from the time I became aware of it, I have always been proud of the fact that I was born in the same year, 1948, as the current State of Israel. Frankly, antisemitism has always been something of a mystery to me, because I couldn’t imagine how it could exist. I now have the intellectual understanding of its mechanics, but no emotional connection to it at all. At the same time, I have to concede that I have irrational responses to some racial groups in general, but even there that rarely intrudes on a personal level with individuals. “The ground is level at the foot of the cross” is a truism I learned a long time ago, but I still need to apply it consistently in my own life.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I do pray for the peace of Jerusalem – a far more pointed and practical prayer at this point than sometimes! As much as I pray for political and military solutions, I know that only the Lordship of Jesus Christ will solve the situation, in Israel, in Ukraine, and everywhere else. May indeed Your rule and reign be established as Your will is done, as perfectly on earth as it is in heaven, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!