Showing Mercy to Israel

It is important for us all to acknowledge the truth of what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well: “Salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22). Without the Jews, we would have no patriarchs, no prophets, no apostles, no Bible—and no Savior! Without all these, how much salvation would we receive? None! The Bible makes it clear that God requires the Christians of all other nations to acknowledge their debt to the Jews and to do what they can to repay it. In Romans 11:30–31, Paul summed up what he had been saying about the debt and the responsibility of the Gentile Christians toward Israel.

“For as you [Gentiles] were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their [Israel’s] disobedience, even so these [Israelites] also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you [Gentiles] they [Israel] also may obtain mercy.”

In other words, because of God’s mercy that has come to us Gentile Christians through Israel, God requires us in our turn to show mercy to Israel. How shall we fulfill this obligation? The following are four practical ways that we may do so.

First, we can cultivate and express an attitude of sincere love for Jewish people.

Second, we can enjoy and demonstrate the abundance of God’s blessings in Christ in such a way that the Jews may be made jealous and desire what they see us enjoying.

Third, we can seek the good of Israel through our prayers and petitions, as the Bible exhorts us to do (see Romans 10:1).

Fourth, we can seek to repay our debt to Israel by performing practical acts of kindness and mercy.