The Power of Forgiveness
For 2000 years, the Jews have
opposed Jesus Christ and resisted the Gospel of Christianity; especially so among
adherents of Judaism. The government of Israel
had consistently banned any evangelical activities by Christian missionary
groups in the Holy Land, so that for the 60 years since establishment of the
nation of Israel,
it had been very difficult for the faith of Christianity to take root and grow
in the birthplace of the Gospel. In certain parts of Israel and areas under
Palestinian control, ultra-Orthodox Jews and radical Islamists have for years
bullied local Christians and Messianic Jews, using the language of hatred,
violent behaviour, disturbance of services, disruption of baptisms, malicious
vandalism, and death-threats against those who believe in Christ. (In recent
years, many American Jews have turned to the Lord, acknowledging that Christ is
the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament. These Jewish believers formed
Messianic Jewish organizations, and some of them have returned to the Holy Land to live and evangelize.)
Recently, an event occurred in the
Jewish settlements in the West Bank that gave
many Jews new understanding into Christians and the love of God. During the
celebration of the festival of Purim in late March, Messianic pastor David
Ortiz received a gift. When David’s 15-year old son Ami took it into the
kitchen and opened it, a home-made bomb exploded that severely injured his
eyes, neck and lungs. Although his life was spared after emergency
resuscitation, there will be a very difficult period of recovery. The bombing
triggered a flood of media attention. Besides condemning this terrorist attack,
the mayor of the city pointed out that the Ortiz family was a major contributor
to the community and country. Five of the six Ortiz children had served in the
army. Later, the family issued a statement forgiving the bomber. This
unconditional forgiveness towards their enemy by the Ortizes caused a great hubbub
in society. Some deemed it illogical, some were shocked, some found it incredulous,
and some said they saw Christ in their persons.
For a long time, Messianic Judaism
had been branded as a cult. Yet four weeks after the attack, the church
achieved a great victory in its legal status. Overturning previous decisions,
the Supreme Court of Israel ruled that the state could not discriminate against
Messianic Jews and deny them Israeli citizenship based on their religious
faith. The testimony of love of the Ortiz family not only aroused interest to
know about Jesus among new Israeli immigrants, but also instilled a willingness
among home-grown Jews to seek knowledge of the Gospel of Christ.
Love is the greatest force on earth,
embodying healing, reconciliation, acceptance and edification. In contrast,
hatred brings forth contention, intensifies confrontation, destroys
relationships and spreads enmity. For years, David Ortiz faced many hardships
and obstacles in his preaching and testimony for Christ, so that his fruits
were few. In this terrorist attack, his family suffered greatly. Yet with the
grace of God and the love of Jesus Christ, they could forgive their enemy,
turning pain into blessing and manifesting the great love of the Lord, so that
the name of Christ was widely proclaimed and many were attracted to come to
know Christ. In the end, the government of Israel gave them their rightful
legal standing, which will be a boon to their evangelical work in the future.
So wonderful is God!
“Love is patient, love is kind. It
does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not
self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does
not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always
trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
By: Daniel To