You Say They’re Homosexuals? Jesus Says, “So What? That Doesn’t Matter. You Come, Follow Me.”
I received an email which voiced numerous objections to the idea that Jesus accepted some sexually active gays and lesbians, which I document from Luke 17. I replied to him, “You’ve covered far too much ground to answer in one email. Let me answer one point from your first paragraph.” He had written,
But I’ve seen posts from you that say that Jesus “taught” on gay and lesbians. And that from Luke 17:34-35, that God “accepts” gays and lesbians. But that is NOT what Jesus said. All Jesus said was “there are two men in a bed… two women grinding” (if you are correct). Jesus didn’t “teach” ANYTHING in these verses. Jesus didn’t say whether it was wrong or right.
True. Jesus didn’t say whether it was wrong or right. What he said was that it didn’t matter, that it was irrelevant.
You left something out. In verses 34 and 35 we read, “one shall be taken, and the other left.” One member of each pair is acceptable to God, and one is not. Based on the testimony of Luke 17, then at least some sexually active gays and lesbians are acceptable to God, and delivered from judgment. (I’ve had some literalists ask me if I believe that 50 percent of gays and lesbians are going to heaven, which is quite silly.)
It is the separation of the righteous and the unrighteous that is the key point of my thesis. The fact that some sexually active gays and lesbians are acceptable to God is the point I am making.
The point of this passage is that homosexuality and homosexual activity are not factors in a person’s acceptability to God. God does not take sexual orientation into account. Jesus ignores it.
And the word of the Son of God, God Incarnate, is superior to voices of the Hebrew prophets, according to Hebrews 1:1-2.
In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets a many times and in various was, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.
Moses is called a prophet in the book of Deuteronomy. ”Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.” (Deut. 34:10) You see, Jesus was the Lord himself. Jesus’ acceptance of gays and lesbians takes priority over Moses’ rejection.
This is just one more difference between life under the old covenant and life under the new. We don’t keep the Sabbath the way the Israelites did, or say “No, thanks” to shrimp and rabbit the way the Israelites did, or enforce the death penalty the way the Israelites did, or reject homosexuals the way the Israelites did.
My friend, if you’re anything like me, then you have plenty of personal weakness, plenty of areas where you fall short of Christ’s commandment to love the people around you. I’m sure you’ve read this before, but let me repeat it anyway. A little repetition never hurts.
Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Start here. Are there any widows in your neighborhood? in your church? among your relatives? And keep yourself untainted by the world. Avoid worldly ambition, worldly ambitions, and worldly measures of success. After a while, think about this.
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
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If you are interested in the evidence supporting Jesus’ acceptance of gays and lesbians in Luke 17, click here.
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Luk 6:47 WHOSOEVER cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
Luk 6:48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
Luk 14:26 If ANY [man] come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
Luk 14:27 And WHOSOEVER doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
Luk 14:33 So likewise, WHOSOEVER he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
Jhn 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Jesus made a point in the pages of the bible to say on numerous accounts “WHOSOEVER” …. so if we are not able to trust the words of the Bible, and the ONLY ONE that God is recorded upon the mouth of two or more to have identified as His Only Begotten Son, in whom God was well pleased and commanded man to “Hear Him”….. then who’s word is it that one should take on such matters?
So many seem to forget that it is the words given by God to Jesus Christ in the pages of the bible that are the only ones that come to us in the entire collection meeting the criteria upon which a matter according the Moses, that a matter was to be established regarding life and death… which was to be upon the mouth of two or more.
We have the mouth of two or more regarding the words of Jesus Christ in the pages of the bible… showing God Himself identifying Him and commanding man to “hear Him”. No one else…. and Jesus saying “my sheep hear my voice and another they will NOT FOLLOW”… so if Jesus says in the pages of the bible. WHOSOEVER WILL…. then one would have to be himself/herself rejecting Jesus’ word on that part themselves as well as what the bible states to anyone reading it to say “gays” are excluded from “whosoever”… cause Jesus says “whosoever”…. or we have a huge issue with anything else in the pages of the bible.. don’t we?
Let’s also remember that Jesus was identified by God Himself as being His Son and Jesus said that it was God that would confirm His word and that man was to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. The opening pages of the book of Genesis outlines for us what happened when man, able to hear from God and know directly from God what he was to do or not to do, went against it and hearkened to the voice of another in matters pertaining to what God knows or would have one do or to call into question what God had already told the man directly.
The days of having others speak for God and tell us what it is that we are to do or not to do or what God knows or doesn’t or what one has to do or not to do to be more like God are over… that’s what the serpent did in the garden from the beginning and it makes NO sense at all to know that and to repeat it again and again today.
If God Himself is not saying it to you, writing it in your own heart and on your own mind, and confirming it Himself … then don’t be listening to anyone else who is not GOD about it and most assuredly about what God would have you to do or not to do.
Man is to live by every word that proceeds from the MOUTH OF GOD, and all are to be taught by God……not the mouth of men or women, serpents or any other…. and as we read in the pages of the bible… God Himself blessed everything He created and gave them instruction HIMSELF on what it was that they were to do…. and needed no other to do so.. or we have a far larger issue with the Bible than most would consider! ♥♥
I agree with this summation. After all, the doers of the Law are justified before God and that Law is to love thy neighbor as thyself. This Law does not care what religious affiliation you are of or what your sexual orientation is. Only humans seem to care about such things. Being gay does not violate the Law because being gay does not prevent someone from being a ‘doer of the Law’.
Well said, J.L., well said!
Reblogged this on Zachary Maichuk's Blog.
Nobody who believes in the teachings of Jesus should condemn (judge). To do so is to blaspheme, to take Jesus’ words in vain, in a very real and hateful manner. To me (as I may have mentioned) this means that even if a person says to me, that they are gay, I may NOT take that as an excuse to condemn them – no matter how loudly I thump on the bible while I do it. I have gay friends, and gay relatives, all of whom I love. If God is going to damn them, that is God’s business. I will not do so, not over this.
Yes, calling yourself a Christian is taking the Lord’s name, and if it doesn’t make a difference in your life, then you’ve done it in vain, to no avail.
And walking in love–that’s how we make sure it’s not in vain.
Excellent point Ron.. for as the bible has been sharing with us for a long time now.. those that were called “Christian” in its record were those that had first become a disciple of Christ… that had had God confirm them by them doing as Christ was doing, healing the sick, casting out demons, etc…. and it was the result of them doing so and teaching others to keep his commandment to have that same power given to them…. that were CALLED CHRISTIAN by those that seen the evidence of the power of God being with those disciples. It was NOT a self profession or a declaration of “self righteousness” one declares for oneself.
As Jesus said.. if you don’t see the works of the Father done by me… believe it not because of words… it was to be the evidence that was to speak… not the “worship with the lips”….
As to Duncan’s comment…. As Jesus said one is not to judge… for ye shall know them by their fruits. When one makes a claim that there is no evidence to support…. it is not the judgement or another person judging them… it is them exposing themselves.
As Jesus illustrated with those that claimed to be the children of Abraham… and yet despite their claims…. they were not doing as Abraham had done…. therefore there was no judgement of Jesus in saying “ye hypocrites, brood of vipers”… they had EXPOSED THEMSELVES!
Something that far too often we don’t seem to consider. That when we make a claim and there is no evidence of it…. then its us that are exposing ourselves!! When the walk is there…. there needs to be no talk … does there? Yet when the walk is not there… and we’re offering the talk…. we’re exposing ourselves… not someone else judging us!!!
Jesus made it simple … the servant shall be as His Master is…. ye shall know them by their fruits… so no judgement is necessary….