Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
—Romans 12:14, NASB

Reflection:
Such cultural propaganda reached a climax years later following the Council of Yavneh in AD 90. Pharisees and other religious leaders tried to reunite the Jewish people after this gathering by forming a new Judaism. Because the three pillars of Jewish temple culture, the temple building, sacrifices, and priests, were no longer in the picture, the religious leaders’ plan was to create new customs and traditions that would form the core of a new Jewish identity. More specifically, the Pharisees and rabbis came up with new liturgy and prayers.

But these culture shapers were cunning. They had witnessed and continued to witness the great Diaspora, the dispersion of the Jews, taking place as a result of the temple’s destruction and Rome enslaving many other Jews. So with a desire to create a new Judaism followed by unified, like-minded Jews, they added within the new liturgy a curse against anyone who did not follow the Pharisees’ teaching or who created false teachings, separatists and heretics.

Three times a day Jews were to recite this curse as part of the prayer liturgy. Yet what has fascinated historians through the years is the extent to which this prayer may have been specifically directed at followers of Christ.

The Birkat ha-Minim was one of many prayers used for benediction during weekday prayer gatherings. What made it unique was its call for divine wrath upon the named enemies of Rabbinic Judaism, both inside and outside of Judaism. The mystery that has intrigued scholars surrounds two words: nozerim and minim. The latter can be translated to mean heretics, but most studies of the word nozerim identify it with the term Nazarenes, which is what Jewish believers in Jesus were called.

Even if the first- and second-century Jewish liturgy did not contain any curses directed at Gentile believers, we know that the Pharisees and rabbis created a system that intentionally demonized any Jews who chose to follow Yeshua. Some scholars believe the curse specific to the nozerim was added shortly after the Council of Yavneh to keep Jewish believers from synagogue life.

Scholars can debate the facts surrounding the Birkat ha-Minim, but what is undeniable is the spirit behind such liturgy that loaded prayers with political agendas. These manipulative efforts to control the Jewish culture stemmed from an antichrist spirit at work both during Jesus’ life and well into the next century.

And to a degree, that evil spirit had some success in pulling the early church apart: first, by ostracizing Jewish believers from their own people and making following Jesus less Jewish; and second, by creating a divide between seemingly defiled Jewish believers who associated with Gentiles and other Jews who, by not doing so, remained clean.

Beloved, when prayer is loaded with political agendas, when worship is used to separate, curse, or demonize those who belong to Yeshua, something precious is being attacked. Messiah has come to reconcile, to cleanse, to save, and to gather His people into truth. The enemy works to divide, accuse, and estrange people from the very promise of God. But in Messiah, we do not bless what is false, and we do not curse those who oppose us. We bless those who persecute us. We bless and do not curse.

Application:

• Guard your heart from any spirit that uses religion to accuse, divide, or demonize those who belong to Yeshua.
• Bless those who persecute you, trusting Messiah to reveal truth and reconcile what the enemy has tried to separate.

Prayer:
Father, keep my heart clean before You. Deliver me from every spirit of accusation, bitterness, and division. Teach me to bless and not curse, even when Your people are misunderstood or opposed. Thank You that Yeshua came to reconcile, cleanse, save, and gather us into truth. Let my prayers be filled with Your heart, not with fear, control, or political agendas.