A Welcome Surprise

Rabbi Greenberg makes a decision.

Rabbi Greenberg welcomed Dr. Kaplan into his office at the synagogue.

“Well, Ben, I never thought I’d say this, but I’m glad to see you.”

“What makes you say that, Jeremiah?”

“I just finished going over the synagogue finances with our accountant, Ed Lowndes. He tells me that you’ve cured him of debilitating fatigue when no other doctor could help him. He thinks that you are a genius. I’m just really getting to know you Ben. I’ve come to see you as a man of character and unusual ability. I’ve judged you wrongly in the past. So, Ben, I’m genuinely glad to see you.

“I’ve been considering Yeshua and whether he could really be our Messiah. You know, Ben, I’m no dummy. I know the Scriptures well, both Old and New Testaments. I have to say that I’m being moved in a new direction. I’m beginning to believe that Yeshua is actually our Messiah. Isaiah 53 has made a real impact on me. But I’ve got a problem, Ben.”

“What’s the problem, Jeremiah?”

“If I accept Yeshua as my Messiah, what do I tell my congregation? They’ll say that I’ve converted, that I’m now a Christian and that I’m no longer Jewish”, said Rabbi Greenberg.

“I agree with you, Rabbi. That is a problem. But wouldn’t it be a bigger problem for your congregation not to know the truth? How can I help you with this Jeremiah?”

“How do I tell them, Ben? What do I tell them? I realize now that I’ve not been teaching them the truth. I’ve not been deliberately deceiving them. But I have been deceiving them, even though unwittingly.”

“Jeremiah, do you believe that Yeshua is the Messiah and the Son of God?”

“I never thought I’d say this, Ben, but yes. I believe that Yeshua is Messiah, Son of God, and my Lord and Savior.”

“Wow! First of all, Jeremiah, this is really good news! You are going to spend eternity in heaven with God. And you and I are going to be there together, Rabbi!

“Here is what I recommend, Jeremiah. Take a few weeks to mediate about this and to pray about it. Ask God to help you to decide just what to say to your congregation and to help you to know how to handle their response, whatever that may be. Some of them may embrace your decision. In the meantime, I know a member of your synagogue who is a believer in Yeshua. I’m going to ask this person if she’d be willing to contact you and offer you her support. She is a very wise woman. Those are my thoughts right now, Jeremiah. I’ll be seeking God’s counsel for you also, and you and I will meet again soon. How does that sound?”

“It sounds good, Ben. Can you and I pray right now?”

Facing each other in two chairs, the men joined hands and gave praise to Adonai”.