That Jesus Christ Was Born a Jew: Part 17: Closing Thoughts from Luther

If we really want to help them, we must be guided in our dealings with them not by papal law but by the law of Christian love. We must receive them cordially, and permit them to trade and work with us, that they may have occasion and opportunity to associate with us, hear our Christian teaching, and witness our Christian life. If some of them should prove stiff-necked, what of it? After all, we ourselves are not all good Christians either.

Here I will let the matter rest for the present, until I see what I have accomplished. God grant us all his mercy. Amen.

Luther quotes some minor prophets in his case that Jesus, born of a Jew, is the promised Messiah, the God-man promised to be our Redeemer. One that stands out for me is the rebuilding of the temple to a greater glory. In the physical rebuilding of the temple, post-Exilic and Herodian, the temples were regressively smaller and less grand. In 70 AD the last temple was destroyed, never to be rebuilt again. Good News magazine recently reported that allegedly Muslims are even breaking up any stones left from that last temple. Obviously it will be very hard for a temple to be rebuilt, much less one that is grander than Solomon's temple. There is obviously a grander, more spiritual meaning to this verse. And in Revelation God gives us a picture of the Heavenly Jerusalem.

In Haggai we see the reference to Gentiles and the "ten men of all languages." Ten is a number of completeness, and the reference to Gentiles means God's Kingdom is complete when all "nations, tribes, and races" become believers.

Now notice how Luther ends his treatise. He appeals to Scripture and he appeals for patience and wisdom in instruction. No doubt he knew of his own struggles and could relate to the struggles that Jews had in accepting the Gospel message. We would do well to remember Luther's words today, in our evangelism efforts and in assimilating new members in the church. Just because someone comes to faith does not mean they immediately are infused with full understanding of the Gospel and the Christian life. As a child must grow and mature, so each new believer must grow and mature. Luther gives a reason for patience: "For they have been led astray so long and so far that one must deal gently with them, as people

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