2025-03-10 A Meditation on the Good Jew

“6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 9 As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” 10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. 13 By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, 14 while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. 15 Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” (2 Cor 9:6-15 ESV)

“19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” (1 Cor 9:19-23 ESV)

To have a spiel. To go front and center with some offshoot of the effort to be a “Good Jew”, that is, to be principled and vocal, to be known to friend and enemy alike for what we’re “all about”: this asks after a feistier side of the self, a less “getting along” or “copacetic” vibe. Yet also the uptight grump or the one we just feel loved less or was less loved over the trying years, we don’t know how God is planning to embrace each soul. We don’t know if our own feelings of relative “weakness” in fact usher in grand Togetherness, uprising Spirit in the people, the friendships characterized by our sense both of Certainty and of Judgment:

Certain, that we are the sorts of fellows or gals to make the good investment, to be on the winning team, to be liked, to find approval, to war with kindness in our hearts. Judgment, that all that can feel precarious, or as though we are losing it this time around: our vote is mocked, our “Good Jew” philosophy meets punishment, our life… let’s face it… is no cakewalk: we are hounded and faulted, and there are those who would also say “Good riddance”.

This is why we seek a Doctrine that can let us rest easy at night: I spoke Love. I spoke into a void, some Care. I spoke Sincerely, and learned along the way: contrary to man’s logic, our doctrine prefers, nay, thrives, in some measure of self-giving, in being Utilized by the friend or peer, in making sense “For them” prior to “For we ourselves”. We are a group species. We have illogic coded into us. And yet there is the great gulf between some and some others…

Because let us go for broke on the claim “Enough!”. I have enough compassion thrown my way. I have won enough sandlot games or streetcorner jousts, to be content with looking downwards—nevermind those gifted with yet more—looking downwards and Sharing. Delighting in the family obligation, that is the obligation around a Crew, around a Holy Name, around a Group Regaled, and carefully emailed or spoken to, not haphazardly, not in frustration, not jibing, but because there are relationships we cherish and show kindly, godly, fear around offending.

That is, to move onwards from polite storylines and the innocence of youth, is to rise to a strange theology incorporating—blush, if you like, demure if you are not interested—worship, of a Man, a Manchild, a Femme-like presence, a “to each their own” sage. A worship time, of a Father in heaven, so elite and caring as to hide Himself. In a pretense. In a wilderness trial. We are invited to bask in All On madness and overwhelming Invite, all systems go, and we… desiring to make the gift, to bring something to the altar, a sluggard we were in friendships past, how to make up for it? A dream of letting things slip through our fingers… a gift! But we will never be content with the gift: we must accept All Things Now. Freedom from debt and from burden. A zealous encomium that God’s own Gift in His Son is ours today to claim! As demonstrated by the contented friend or elder. Yet to accept that this is enough, that is Religion for you.