Have the Jewish Scriptures Become Second Class among Christians? Part 1
Introduction
Last year I was briefed by the MLB. TV app that I had watched or listened to over 130 hours of baseball in 2025. I wasn’t surprised. Major League Baseball is a sport that plays well without having to view the game on TV; one can also savor the radio feed. Yet, the listening quality of a baseball game depends on the expertise and sensitivity of the sports broadcaster.
As an NY Yankees fan, I took pleasure in the years I spent listening to the radio voices of John Sterling and Susan Waldman call the Bronx Bombers’ baseball games. Since I now live in Southern California, I also relished the broadcasting skills of LA Dodgers legendary announcer Vin Scully.
One of the skills of a crack baseball commentator is knowing when to stop talking and let the game breathe! Scully was a master at detecting the intensity of a game when the Dodgers were in a win-or-lose situation.
It’s the bottom of the ninth. The Blue Crew are down by one run with two outs and two eager runners on second and third. The opposing pitcher has a full count on the batter. The crowd is edgy, but silent.
What in the world would Scully say? Share a few recent stats on the perspiring pitcher’s record with men on base in the bottom half of the ninth inning? How about several fresh analytics on how the LA hitter performs in these situations?
Nope! Scully would remain silent.
Vin waited on the inhale of bated breath of the LA crowd, and the exhale of the next pitch, to call the game any further. His baseball broadcasting was priceless.
For expert broadcasters of America’s National pastime, a crowd’s intense silence at the bottom of the ninth needs no additional baseball banter. Instead, the hushed anticipation of baseball fans poised to see their team take the lead speaks louder than any barrage of statistics, analytics, and speculation. It is prime time to let the game breathe.
When the Hebrew Scriptures Need to Breathe
The same observation applies to how some pastors interact with the Jewish Scriptures, which Christians refer to as the Old Testament.
At times I perceive evangelical pulpiteers unnecessarily throttle the Hebrew Scriptures by carpeting the ancient text with Christian themes and far-fetched applications. These biblical orators feel the need to insert Christian theology into a text directed at ancient Israel and sidestep the message God originally steered towards the Jewish nation.
When this scenario occurs, the original application of a passage is lost. In other words, the pastor refuses to allow the Jewish Scriptures to breathe on their own. Instead, he flings an NT blanket to smother the words of the Hebrew text lest his non-Jewish Christian audience be confused by a passage that contains a present-day or future message to the Jewish people.
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