POSTED 31 JULY, 2008

Humanity as Our Business

by J.K. McKee
editor@tnnonline.net

reproduced from the McHuey Blog

Very late on Sunday night I returned from a 10 day holiday to the United Kingdom. Ever since I was a small child, London has been a city I have always wanted to see, and so for the past year I had been planning an excursion to not only see this wonderful place, but to celebrate my (almost) completed master’s degree (one more class!). Our group of four travelers was able to see many of the great tourist destinations, and much more. I come back home to America rested and refreshed, and enthusiastic about the work of the Lord!

Whenever you visit a global city like London, and are away from your normal routine, questions about life, who you are, and what you are doing inevitably get asked. Between not having to deal with phone or e-mail, sitting on that long flight, and taking the Tube throughout the city, one gets a chance to reflect on things in a very unique way. It was certainly a thrill to walk some of the same streets as one’s ancestors, considering the history and contemplating the various monuments, but I found myself having to also personalize the new input. As a Bible teacher I do wonder whether or not I am ably serving God in the world, and I petition the Lord for those areas where I need to improve or those new things that He wants me to do.

I had the privilege of getting with two Messianic friends while in the U.K., both of whom constituted a large part of the small British Messianic community. While meeting with them, and after exchanging pleasantries, I was simply asked “Do you know about…?” They did not even have to tell me what subject it was. I already knew. The debate over whether or not polygamy is a valid option for Believers today had crossed the pond and hit the Mother Country. Understandably, the confusion and discouragement that this scandal has caused have spread beyond the United States. They both recognized how this issue can seriously discredit the things our Father is trying to do.

The issue of human sexuality, as I discussed in January’s lead article “How Are We to Live as Modern Messianics?” is something that the Messianic movement has definitely avoided for far too long. It is a part of who we are as people with bodies and hormones, and the Scriptures certainly do not back down from discussing it. It is something perfectly valid to talk about, but like many things our faith community seems to do—it will be addressed incorrectly before it is addressed correctly. Likewise, it causes our still-maturing movement to have to ask itself a few difficult questions beyond just anatomy and reproduction, but also about male-female gender roles. And, whether we realize it or not, it should also cause us to ask ourselves some questions about people in general, and how every person on Earth has value in the eyes of the Lord.

Before going to London, I was a bit put off by some of the comments made by some Messianics I know. Rather than being told, “Say hi to the Queen for me” or “Bring me back a photo of Big Ben” as should have been said, I was instead “warned” about all of the Muslims that I was going to encounter. Yes, I did see Muslims. So what? Many of the Muslims in the Greater London area are looking for a better life outside of the Middle East. You would rather live in London than live in Karachi too! You would want to live in a place with better infrastructure and a place that would provide more money and economic opportunities for your family.

Muslims are people who desperately need the salvation that Yeshua provides. And, when you think of all of the other ethnicities I encountered while on holiday: Indians, Africans, Orientals, Eastern Europeans, and various Western Europeans on their own vacations—it should give you an idea about how diverse this world really is. Each one of the people I encountered while touring, riding the Tube, or just walking around has great value in the eyes of the Lord—and He desires that they all come to a knowledge of Him. Such is the mandate placed upon God’s people going all the way back to Genesis 12:3: “in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (cf. Galatians 3:8). How are we to accomplish this? Messianics today often seem to forget this. Why?

The circumstances in today’s Messianic movement now require me to address an issue that I would never have guessed a few short years ago would have to be. I honestly thought we were better than this. Yet, only addressing human sexuality would not be appropriate to the two other issues that it is innately connected to. As a man, how am I to show honor and respect toward a woman? And, as a Believer in Messiah Yeshua, how am I to demonstrate respect to people of other ethnicities and cultures—especially those who need redemption? How am I to be a light to the nations (Isaiah 42:6) as Ancient Israel was commissioned to be? How am I to be a conduit of God’s love toward others who need to be loved? How can each of us understand the imperatives of Paul’s words in Ephesians 1:18?

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18).

The hope of God’s calling on each one of us is to marvel at the inheritance in the saints! It is the possibility laid before us that the entire world can come to a knowledge of Yeshua and be saved!

Suffice it to say, while walking the streets and parks of the great old city, I am now convinced that a new research project on this issue of humanity as our business has to be produced. While it may not be ready for immediate release tomorrow, as some publications have been sloppily thrown together in a matter of weeks, human sexuality, gender roles, and equality among all of God’s people is something that I will begin to research and write about. It is something that really hits at the heart of the future mission and purpose of the Messianic movement, us being a light to the world, and us seeing greater maturity among our leaders. This does include women taking on a more significant role and no longer being excluded or ignored, and each one of us respecting people in today’s world as a whole. Admittedly, this will not be easy at first but it will not be an incomplete possibility if we understand the missional imperatives of the Scriptures. It is a subject that I feel very strongly about, and I am willing to commit the time and effort to seeing that it is addressed properly.

This week, we have just started a new Bible Study on the Epistle of Ephesians. Be sure to join in and take the first steps with us into evaluating what our Messianic mission should be!

J.K. McKee (B.A., University of Oklahoma; M.A., Asbury Theological Seminary) is the editor of TNN Online (www.tnnonline.net) and is a Messianic apologist. He is a 2009 recipient of the Zondervan Biblical Languages Award for Greek. He is author of numerous books, dealing with a wide range of topics that are important for today’s Messianic Believers. He has also written many articles on theological issues, and is presently focusing his attention on Messianic commentaries of various books of the Bible.