A Light to the Nations

The nation of Israel is spoken of by the prophet as a light to the nations (Isaiah 42:6). Christian missionaries maintain that this mandate of Israel is fulfilled through the intense, worldwide missionary activity of the Church. The fact that the Jewish people do not actively seek to spread the teachings of Judaism is presented as evidence that the Jewish people are not fulfilling their calling.

Judaism contends that the Christian deification of Jesus is idolatrous. Many Christians are highly offended by this accusation. These Christians put forth various abstract arguments to justify their devotion to Jesus. We will not address those arguments in this brief article. Instead we will point to the fact that many Christians actually use a physical representation of Jesus, be it a cross, a statue, or a portrait of a Jesus as a component in their devotional activities. If this…