The Arizona post., 1957-01-04
If Returned Would Him..
A Rubbi Looks At Christmas

should be rejected by anyone sensitive to the nobler
promptngs of the human spirit of the divine image
within the human SOUL
But did the Jews really reject Jesus? Of course,
they didn't
Why, a matter of fact, the only ones who
actually accepted him during his brief sojourn on
earth were Jews. Was he rejected by his father
Joseph or his mother Mary? Well were these, his
parents Christians were they Jews? Was he re-
jected by his dsciples-Were they Christians or were
they Jews? And who after ALL were those multitudes
who followed him sadly to the cross but the hosts
of Judea, Jews every last among them?
SO TO ME as a rabbi, the most important ques-
ton before in this generation is not whether or
why the Jews supposedly rejected Jesus but whether
the mutitudes of Christians, who, within compara-
lively few days. will so jubilantly be celebrating the
day of his birth-whether they have genuinely ac-
cepted him. I fear that for the most part they
have not.
For if they had, it would seem to me there
would be in our world today in our widespread So
called Christian civilization in this aegedly Christian
nation of ours, neither poverty greed, neither
hatred nor bigotry neither preparations for
wars, for grisy and CHASTITY, but there
would be instead only peace earth to of good
will everywhere.
THAT CHRISTIANS themselves have not yet
accepted Jesus his teachings perhaps be most
graphically brought home by imagining this gentle
Jew of Nazareth being "born again. so many
pously pray that he should and returning to our
midst in this which is called "the year of our Lord,
1885, Let us suppose that it would be this coming
Christmas day, when the press will proclaim and
the preachers will preach the good news that the
heart of Christendom has been opened and its bounty
has been generously bestowed upon all who are in
need that every heart and home might rejoice
on the natal day of him who was born to bring peace
and plenty blessing and joy to all the sons of men.
Suppose it were this precise day that Jesus
would return. Hearing that it was his birthday that
men were rapturously observing and that it were
essential and proper to celebrate so auspicious an
occasion by going to certain structure called by his
name he who was so scorned and scourged during
his lifetime would follow the throng to their house
of worship.
OF COURSE, his presence would create quite
stir The raised eyebrows, the naughty stares the
widespread syllable "Jew' would soon convince this
bearded son of Judea that he was not only in the
wrong pew but in the wrong church well; and
that though his name etched in marble above
its portals his message was absent from the hearts
of too many who were PROSTATE before his image s.
that he himself was not too welcome in its midst.
Thus would the Jew of Nazareth, in the very
Church of Christ itself, feel the first sting of anti
Jewish prejudice, of bitter biting anti-Semltsm
Have the Christians themselve accepted Jesus when
on the day after Christmas his people, the Jews, will
still be rejected in business and professions, hospital
staffs and schools?
YES, IF JESUS came again this coming Christ
mas day and spoke once more, as he did mid Judea's
lovely hills those who call themselves by his name
those who acclaim him the Christ the Messiah who
was presumed to have ushered in Gods Kingdom on
earth, those who through the centuries have mutt
lated and manned and massacred his klnsmen Tor
their alleged rejection of their saviour would be the
very ones who would reject him and his teachings,
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