A young boy has been severely wounded after a device that was concealed inside a gift basket his family had received for Purim exploded. The fifteen year old boy who suffered wounds to his chest, neck and head, is still in critical condition in the Beilinson hospital in Petah Tikvah. Doctors were forced to amputate one of his legs, and have warned that he could still lose his eyesight. The Israeli police are carrying out a full investigation into the incident. Initial reports suggested that the attack may have been carried out by some sort of cult, but the family's links to Messianic Judaism have left some wondering whether elements closer to home may have been involved. Messianic Judaism is a branch of Judaism that recognizes Yeshua, Jesus Christ, as the Messiah. Arutz 7, which often publishes articles defaming Messianic Jews, was largely silent as to the possible religious motivations behind this incident.

Quote: ""All Messianic Jewish communities are still in shock and pain over the incident," Roni, a family friend, said. "The feeling is really difficult right now. The most important thing is that the youth come out of the operating room and the second thing is that we hope that they will catch the person who did this and condemn the phenomenon." Roni, also a member of the sect, accompanied the injured teen to the hospital. "Messianic Jews suffer a lot of harassment and from other types of violence – burning down meeting places, pestering (us) at home, the publishing of announcements with featuring our pictures and more." Roni also said that the primary danger threatening the members of the community came from extremist religious organizations – Muslim and Jewish. "There is always a danger from the religious perspective but the question is: Where does it come from? "We would really like to believe that it doesn't come from Judaism. Every Messianic Jew is a target for radical Jews and in the past Messianic Jewish synagogues have even been burned down in Israel.

So it seems that not much has changed. Jewish believers in the Messiah often faced similar persecution from the religious authorities in New Testament days. Rabbi Shaul, a Pharisee of the Pharisees, even went as far as persecuting 'this way' unto death (Acts 22:4). His name, Shaul - 'a haughty one', later became Paul - 'a little one', and he would in turn suffer many things by his own countrymen for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 9:16, 2nd Corinthians 11:24-33). And in the West, today we remember the sufferings of our Lord, who was mocked, scourged, beaten and crucified for us. Paul suffered willingly for the Lord, but he did not chose to suffer. Jesus Christ chose to suffer because of His great love for us. He made Himself poor so that we could be rich (2nd Corinthians 8:9). He suffered so that our joy might be full (John 15:11). He died so that we might have life (John 10:10). "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends", John 15:13. Who can measure the love of God? Trust in Jesus Christ for salvation today.

1st Peter 3:18
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

Source YNet News, Haaretz, Arutz 7