Messianic Oddballs

This was a very interesting blog from First Fruits of Zion.
Shalom
Lee

The call of discipleship and the message of Torah result in a decidedly counter-culture type of life. The great American author Flannery O'Connor once said, "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you--odd." The Messianic movement is beset with oddity. We are those who have taken the call to be a "peculiar people" quite literally.

This oddness is manifest in every aspect of our lives. The way we dress, the food we eat, the food we don't eat, the day we worship, the way we worship, the way we interact with one another, with the other gender, the way we raise our children, handle our finances, etc.

Some of our oddities, however, cannot be attributed to the particular demands of Scripture. Rather, it results from the caliber of people who are drawn to Messianic expression. A local Messianic Rabbi described his congregation as one filled with what he called "fragile personalities." I often tell Christian pastors that they should be thankful for Messianic Judaism. I tell them, "Think of us as the bug-light of Christianity. If these people were not attending our congregations, they would probably be in yours. You owe us a debt of gratitude."

I became Messianic in my mid-twenties. When in your mid-twenties, a counter-culture lifestyle has a certain appeal. It might seem "cool" to be out of sync with the rest of the world at that age. Now I have entered my forties, and the cool-factor has long ago lost its glimmer. I do my best to appear normal. But I am still odd and at odds with the mainstream of society and even the majority of Christian theology as it relates to Torah.

The problem with studying Torah is that it completely changes the way you read and understand the Bible. Once you step into this larger world, you can't go back. Once you know the truth, you can't un-know it. With or without your consent, God will sweep the Torah student into the great drama of redemption, filled with spiritual adventures and misadventures.

Participation in the Messianic world takes a peculiar kind of person. One has to be an independent thinker and a non-conformist to even consider the religious ideals we are espousing. Not only are we thinking outside of the box, many of us can't even find the box we originally came in.

The typical First Fruits of Zion reader is not typical. He or she is the kind of person who is not content to let social norms and institutional conformity dictate the terms of faith and relationship with God. The Messianic person is a seeker--asking, seeking and knocking.

The normal person who wants to remain normal should stay in his fishing boat when he hears the mysterious rabbi from Nazareth say, "Follow me." Once you hazard to step outside of that boat and begin to follow the rabbi, anything can happen, and it usually does.

If you find that your religious convictions make you an oddball, be encouraged, you aren't the only one. If you don't regard yourself as an oddball, then let me suggest some serious Bible study through a subscription to Torah Club. The new reading cycle will be starting in just over a month. You can check out Torah Club membership here. Torah Club membership is the primary support mechanism that keeps the ministry of First Fruits of Zion afloat. A portion of the monthly subscription is tax deductible.

Torah Club is not just for scholars. It is written on a layman's level. Though it plumbs the depths of God's Word, anyone with an eighth-grade reading level and basic biblical literacy can understand it and profit from it. Be warned though. The study of Torah is the study of Truth--and the truth will make you odd.

D. Thomas Lancaster
17 Av, 5768