Why Mel Owes One To The Jews (The Passion of Christ)

Toward Tradition ^ | February 12, 2004 | Rabbi Daniel Lapin

[man of Yosemite]

As it was two thousand years ago, so it is today. Try as they might to quench the fire, it only spreads, because it is impossible to fight against God. The testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy. It is the story that God wants told to every generation.

[Mr. Mulliner]

I thought the same thing. When I saw the title, I was afraid I was finally going to read something by Rabbi Lapin that I disagreed with.

[rmlew]

Ok, on behalf of all us goys who is Rabbi Akiva?
Rabbi Akiva ben Joseph (or in Aramaic, Akiba bar Yosef) was one of the great Talmudic sages and one of the major martyrs of Roman occupation.
Akiva, a son of converts, was an unlettered shepherd until he was 40. Thereafter, he turned his life over to study of God's Law. Rabbi Akiva was the greatest sage of his day and became leader of the academe in Yavneh. However, in 132, he declared Simon ben Kosiba to be the Messiah. Renamed "Bar Kochba", this rebel leader retook the remains of Jerusalem and reinstituted Temple services for a time, before the Romans put down the rebellion. Thereafter, they sought end the Jewish problem by banning the practice of Judaism. (The Romans also renamed Israel, Syria Palestinia out of spite.)Akiva was later captured and put to death for teaching the Torah.

http://judaism.about.com/library/2_history/leaders/bldef-p_akiva.htm
http://www.njop.org/html/akiva.html
http://www.encyclopedia4u.com/r/rabbi-akiva.html

[ovrtaxt]

One can hardly blame Christians for assuming that Jews feel artistic freedom is important only when exercised by those hostile toward Christianity. However, this is not how all Jews feel.

I just had a conversation last week with a Jewish family who contribute and work in the arts community in Tampa. VERY liberal. (who would have guessed?) We were debating the NEA funding which Bush just proposed, but of course they hate him anyway and won't vote for him regardless. They absolutely fit your description above. I had to question their judjment of what art is worthwhile and what's just a vehicle for shock value. They wouldn't give the Passion due respect as artwork, their liberal bias precluded any objectivity. Very disturbing, but I hope they at least think about it in the depths of their conscience.

[Uncle Jaque]

Wasn't Saul of Tarsus, later to become St. Paul the Apostle, a Student of Gamaliel at one time?

Interesting connection, don't you think?

As I recal, several of the Jewish Scholars and Members of the Sanhedrian joined in his minority dissent, pointing to the preponderance of Prophetic evidence in Holy Scripture indicating that Yeshuah indeed was their Messhiah.

As a few Jews, to this day, confronted with the very same evidence, are still recognizing him as such.

And if you've ever met a man or woman more filled with the Holy Fire of the Spirit than most Christians you know, or veritably crackling with that Heavenly 'Dunamus' Power that makes your hair stand on end from about 10 feet away...

Then you may have met one of them.

You don't suppose that THIS is the real reasoning behind the ADL and other liberal organizations' fear and loathing of Mel Gibson and the "Passion", do you?

Of course those ancient Rabbis and Scholars who "got it" were over-ruled; it seems that stacking the high Court with politically active "liberals" was a popular political tactic even back then.

And Rome seemed well aware of the fact that political and religious intrigue and manipulation was just as crucial as the deployment of Legions in maintaining the rule of tyranny over it's subject nations.

Interesting how History repeats itself, isn't it?

Because I think that a lot this production's detracors know, deep down within their chilling innermost darkness, that when Jew and Gentile come together at the foot of that Old rugged Cross and together recognize our common Savior, and when Catholic and Protestant are reconciled around the altar of Holy Communion and the Stations of the Cross once again after all these many Centuries...

The Earth will be shaken; the cornerposts moved, and all Hell will howl!

Anyone want to speculate on what happens next?

Stay tuned.

[Valin]

Oh Oh! I may have learned something(gulp). I'm scared.




Thank you.

[ExGeeEye]

"Who could be behind the agenda of hate, throwing that label of "hatred" on others to thinly veil the agenda of hate?"

Could it be...oh, I don't know...SATAN?

[sandbar]

Beautiful, brilliant article. I often wondered how Jews could think most Christians would go rioting in the streets after seeing this movie. A bunch ado about nothing. But the hoopla will be good for those who might have been exposed themselves to this experience. I am taking the day off when this movie comes out and can't wait to see it.

[T'wit]

From one of their newsletters:

Lapin may be reached at Toward Tradition, P.O. Box 58, Mercer Island, Wash. 98040 (206-236-3046; fax: 206-236-3288; e-mail: mail@towardtradition.org; website: www.towardtradition.org).

[mlmr]

Rabbi Lapin is and always has been a man with wisdom, grace, and discernment. I have read his books and must say that he is a blessing to the Jewish and Christian communities.

[Alouette]

You left out the details of Rabbi Akiva's love life.

His first wife, Rachel, who defied her father, the richest man in all of Judea, when she fell in love with an illiterate shepherd who eventually became the greatest of the rabbis.

His second wife, a Roman, sent by the Roman governor Turnus Rufus to tempt Rabbi Akiva into immorality. She converted to Judaism and married Rabbi Akiva after his first wife passed away.

[Valin]

I can't speak for others but I'd go see a film about his life. Provided (of course) it's well done. We've all been burned on "religous" movies that look like they've been made by a 9th grader with his dads movie camera.

Something from my AOL News.
A Hit for Christianity?
Ministers are pushing the movie from the pulpit. Churches are buying tickets by the hundreds. And a driver will race in the Daytona 500 with an ad for it on his hood. Mel Gibson has found some passionate marketers in Christians who think his controversial film about Jesus' death is a must-see. But do religion and movie marketing mix?

What's your reaction to the way 'Passion' is being marketed?
It doesn't bother me -- it's just smart business 85%
It's inappropriate to mix movie marketing with religion 15%

Do you plan on seeing it?
Yes, I can't wait 76%
Maybe, all the talk has piqued my interest 14%
No, I'm not interested 6%
No, it sounds offensive 4%
Total Votes: 90,787

[Optimist]

First, I am a Catholic convert to Judaism.

That said, I often see an almost paranoid reaction by elderly Jews (say in their mid 60's up) to anything that could imply a negative conotation to Jews (but that is a result of their history).

The more proper role of Jewish "leaders" (ie. ADL) is to prepare Jews to handle knee-jerk reactions aimed at them and thereby avoid their own knee-jerk reactions (such as we have unfortunately been seeing thus far from those "leaders")

From that perspective, here is a recent response I made to claims or perceptions given to Jewish Deicide of Christ:

I find claims of Deicide against Jews to be shallow and born either of hate or ignorance; such claims definitely can not come from Christians that believe in the dogma that is Christ:

If you believe that the death of Christ was for the purpose of atonement for mankind (if not, you are hardly a Christian) then YOU MUST believe that whatever group (be they Jewish; Roman; or just one, two, a handful, or a mob of unidentifiable people) that was "responsible" for the act of crucifixion, was serving G-d's purpose. Therefore, as His tool, they were "chosen" to fulfill the greatest act of Christian dogma enabling the ultimate resurrection.

In other words, SOMEBODY had to betray Jesus for the desired outcome to occur. Even those closest to Jesus were foretold to fail before him and with the exception of Judas, the ultimate pawn in G-d's plan, no individual disciple is held accountable for the resulting downfall.

My conclusions: (a) The Jewish people have suffered the greatest attack against any people as a result of G-d's decision to create this place for them in Christian history; (b) I perceive any attacks or accusations against Jews for deicide are due to the forementioned ignorance or less-than-veiled anti-semitism for failure to accept Jesus as an embodiment of the G-d that we all believe in.

I look forward for an opportunity to view this film, and hope that, for all of you, it has the benefit of spiritual awakening and strengthening.