Saying stealing is ‘in the blood’ of Jews is antisemitism – but there is power in the blood of Jesus

Just recently, I saw a video on social media in which, allegedly, two Israelis had been caught shoplifting in Thailand. There was nothing wrong with sharing that on social media. If they broke the law, then they deserve the consequences.

It’s the old saying: If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.

But what was disturbing about this video was the comment that had been added over it:

“It’s in their blood.”

Now that is antisemitic.

Somehow, the slogan suggests that Jews have a genetic tendency to steal. That is the hate being peddled here. They can’t help it; there is something in them that compels them to steal.

But in reality, if you go to the UK, I can find you bad English people who steal. I can take you to the US and find you people who steal. I can even take you to Israel and the Palestinian Authority and find you people who steal.

My house was broken into a few weeks ago; the twisted door lock is testimony to that. Thankfully, nothing was stolen, but there are bad people everywhere.

To single out Jews and say that stealing is “in their blood” is simply antisemitic and wrong.

I wonder if the person who wrote this even realizes how hateful and antisemitic it is. I wonder how they would react if, every time there was a terror attack against Israelis, the world said about the Palestinians, “They can’t help but kill; it is in their blood.”

It does remind me, however, of one Jew who did have something in his blood, and that is power: Jesus (Yeshua). He has power in the blood.

The old hymn declares it well: “There is power, power, wonder-working power in the blood of the Lamb.”

I think if you know the song, you will be singing it all day now. Wonderful words. Powerful words. Theological words.

There is grace, mercy and forgiveness in the blood of Jesus. It is in the blood.

The Old Testament ritual of Passover was all about the blood. If your doorpost was covered in the blood of the lamb, then you were rescued from the angel of death.

It took faith to kill that lamb and pour the blood over the doorpost. But if obedience was there, then so was life.

What a wonderful reflection of what Jesus did for us – not only for us, but for the whole world.

1 Peter 1:18-19:

“Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

Haters and antisemites will hate, but we pray that they will truly see something in the blood of the Jew, Jesus the Messiah – and that is salvation.