OUR DEBT TO THE JEWS
‘What advantage then hath the Jew?… oracles of God.’
I. The advantage here noticed puts us in mind of our indebtedness to the Jew, more especially in regard to the Holy Scriptures.
II. This advantage reminds us that Divine favour and high privilege may be misused, neglected, and turned into ground of accusation.
III. The blindness of the Jew to the claims of Jesus Christ is a thing so terrible, in view of all the circumstances, that for very pity it should open hearts towards them. Shall we profit so greatly by them and yet be content to see them live and die unenlightened?
Illustration
‘Mr. T. E. Zerbib, of Mogador, Morocco, mentions the following sad confession of the darkness of modern Judaism: “After a conversation with several Jews on the prophecies, one of them said,’ We laid aside the Word of God a long time ago, and our religion consists in celebrating the feasts only and wearing our black caps! We have no longer the religion of the fear of God and of justice. We walk in darkness, and dare not take away the veil from our eyes and from our hearts, for fear of recognising that Jesus of Nazareth is truly the Messiah, and yet there is none other.’ ‘And yet,’ I replied, ‘you will not decide to follow the gospel!’ ‘I cannot teach it in our synagogues,’ answered the Jew, ‘but I speak about it to every one I know, and, as you know, I am very much persecuted for doing so.’ ” ’