HOMOSEXUALITY AND THE BIBLE
BIBLE STUDY
16
Matthew 19:11 & 12
Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it has been given. For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by people; and others have renounced marriage because of the realm of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.” (NIV)
At the beginning of Matthew, Chapter 19, some Pharisees begin quizzing Jesus on the subject of divorce. “Can a man divorce his wife for any and all reasons?” Jesus refers them to Genesis 1:27 and 2:27, telling them that when men and women marry they become one flesh, and it was God’s intention from the beginning of Creation, for them never to separate. Now, we know that whenever we see the Pharisees in the gospels, they are always up to something. After all, Jesus was challenging the religious teachings of the day–the status quo–and they had every reason to feel threatened by him. He attracted crowds, and they repeatedly attempted to find ways to discredit him and break up his following. This time it would be over divorce.
In Deuteronomy 24:1 Moses was recorded as saying, “If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her…” he could divorce her. There were at the time two religious schools of thought on divorce. The conservative, Shammai, view said that the something indecent referred only to adultery, while the liberal, Hillel; view took the position that something indecent meant anything that displeased the man.
We must remember that women were considered the property of the men in those days. They had no rights at all in society. In fact, if a man wished to be divorced from his wife, he merely had to hand her a piece of paper–a certificate of divorce–and put her out of the house. She had no say in the matter. In fact, she didn’t even have the right to divorce her husband.
The Pharisees ask Jesus if it is lawful for a man to divorce his wife, not just for adultery, but for any and all reasons. An affirmative answer here would certainly enrage the Shammai crowd. Jesus responds by referring them to the words of scripture. Then why, the Pharisees ask, did Moses create a way for people to divorce? Because Moses understood the hardness of your hearts, Jesus replies. But divorce was never in God’s plan for humankind. Not only that, Jesus says, if you divorce your wife to marry another, except for your wife’s unfaithfulness, you will commit adultery. Well, if that’s the case, the disciples reply in verse ten, maybe it’s better to stay single.
Verses eleven and twelve follow, discussing the situation of eunuchs. Scholars, for the most part, seem to have interpreted these passages from 19:1 to 12 as one seamless story. The Pharisees challenge Jesus, He responds, the disciples comment on Jesus’ responses and Jesus clarifies for them. Scholars say that Jesus first spoke to the married, and then to the unmarried. However, is it possible that the two sections of scripture are not related at all–that is, is it possible that Jesus’ teachings on eunuchs are not related at all to verses one to ten on marriage and divorce? Is it possible that the verses were just assembled together in this way because no one knew what else to do with it?
Turning to the gospel of Mark, 10:1-9 we find the same confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees which parallels Matthew 19:1-9. However, in Mark, the confrontation ends at verse nine, and verse ten indicates that the Pharisees have left and Jesus is alone with the disciples in the house when they begin to question him again. The gospel of Mark makes no mention at all of the words spoken in verses 10 to 12. Perhaps, originally, the teaching as recorded in verses 11 and 12 of Matthew was a separate stand-alone teaching, not related to the question on divorce. In fact, it really seems strange that Jesus would “tack on” these comments about eunuchs here.
What difference would that make? A stand-alone teaching would indicate that to Jesus the subject of eunuchs held its own importance, rather than being merely an adjunct to a teaching on marriage and divorce. Contrary to what most scholars’ record, perhaps this teaching on eunuchs is really what Jesus has to say to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community. We will take up these passages shortly, but in order to fully appreciate what Jesus gave here, we need to develop a framework of understanding of what Jesus means when He says, “Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it has been given. The one who can accept this should accept it.” These words are key to our understanding that God is not the dogmatic dictator that some would have us believe, and is an important part of what Jesus taught. In Romans, 14:16-19 and 22, Paul tells us: Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For the realm of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way not only pleases God but gain’s society’s approval. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification…So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed are those who do not condemn themselves by what they approve.
Paul wrote these words in the context of different approaches to the expressions of faith. One person’s faith teaches her that she is free to eat whatever she wants, while another’s faith restricts him to eating only certain foods. One person considers one day more sacred than another, while another considers every day the same. Both make their individual, if opposite, decisions with the intention to honor God. Let us not judge one another, Paul says (vs. 13a). God is big enough to accept both.
“As one who is in Christ, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean (i.e. forbidden), in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean (forbidden), then for that person it is unclean (forbidden),” Paul said. (vs.14). Paul used the analogies of food and “sacred days”, not merely to speak of these specific things only, but to teach the doctrine of “individual conscience.” Paul’s teaching is about personal relationship with God, teaching that each person must find their own pathway to God, without interference or condemnation from others who might have different opinions and beliefs about that path. Paul’s teaching is that communities should reject dogma which excludes those who are different or who have differing beliefs: “…make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s or sister’s way,” (vs. 13b) he says. One wonders when and how this lesson got lost through the centuries.
Paul’s lesson to the Romans informs our understanding of Jesus’ words to the disciples concerning eunuchs. Matthew 19:10 indicates that the disciples had said, concerning the issue of divorce, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.” To which Jesus responds: “Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it has been given. For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by people; and others have renounced marriage because of the realm of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”
Jesus’ statement could be understood in this way: Maybe you’re right. Marriage isn’t for everyone. Not everyone has the inclination, body structure or disposition to get married and stay married. (“Not everyone can accept this teaching…”) God understands that. Now God has given some of you the grace to live out what God originally intended in marriage. (“… but only those to whom it has been given”) However, there are also those of you who might live as eunuchs. There are many reasons for being a eunuch. Some were emasculated by their captors, some have committed themselves to celibacy for the sake of heaven, and there are others who were born eunuchs. Perhaps their reproductive organs weren’t fully developed. Perhaps they are not attracted to the opposite sex, and would have no interest in procreating. Those of you who feel you aren’t meant to marry shouldn’t. (“The one who can accept this should accept it.”)
At the same time, Jesus articulates some very important points here. God gifts souls individually, and God recognizes and honors the spiritual, emotional, as well as physical differences in God’s creation. There are those who look within and accept whatever they find there as God’s gift to them. Others look within and become frightened at what they see, and spend their entire lives denying their true selves, opting instead to try to become what others tell or teach them they should be. Still others are taken by force and mutilated to become what their captors determine.
Note that not once does Jesus tell the disciples: that’s your cross and you’ll just have to bear it. Jesus does not pass on to them the notion that if they do not marry they will offend God by not obeying God’s command to “be fruitful and multiply.” Jesus does not tell them: that’s the rules! Jesus does not tell them they’ll be lawbreakers or sinners if they decide not to marry, or if their inclinations were in another direction. Jesus does not indicate that eunuchs’ possible (homo)sexuality is an offense to God–that they could choose to be straight if they wanted to. Jesus makes no rigid demands or condemnations of any kind. Quite the opposite, in fact! Jesus is saying: what I’ve got to share with you is up to you, and is predicated on your ability to accept what I have to teach. If you can accept it, then you should. If you can’t accept it, then you can’t and it’s O.K., because maybe God hasn’t given you the grace to accept it.
The words of Jesus as well as Paul dove-tail into a concept of a God who is not rigid and dictatorial, but one who says, I know who you are because I made you. And what you are is My gift to you. What you make of yourself is your gift back to Me. What I desire from you is self-acceptance–when you do that you honor Me as your Creator, remembering that I don’t make mistakes. And who you are is no mistake. When you can accept yourself, when you see yourself as being and doing good, when you try to please Me, you will be blessed. Remember that you need only answer to me, and if I am on your side, nothing anyone else can say to you matters. If I, God, am for you, who can be against you? (Rom. 8:31)
This ends the study for today.