I’ve seen many gay protesters over the years hold up signs that say, “What Jesus said about homosexuality is _______.” Thus inferring that He never said anything about being gay. Not all, but a few of those same folks who seem to want to make facts out of thin air (arguing from silence in a negative sense) would probably believe, like Elton John, that Jesus was gay Himself. From Parade.com:
“I think Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems. On the cross, he forgave the people who crucified him. Jesus wanted us to be loving and forgiving. I don’t know what makes people so cruel. Try being a gay woman in the Middle East — you’re as good as dead.”
About cruelty, the scriptures state, in my “I-am-not-a-theologian” summation, that because of the fall of mankind we became inwardly focused instead of dependent on God. We became defensive in our self-sufficiency and selfishly cruel in our application of the knowledge of good and evil. When we placed our faith in the smallness of our own mortal intellect instead of childlike faith in God to lead us in all things throughout all of our lives. We replaced the Holy Trinity of the Father, Son and Spirit with the unholy trinity of Me, Myself and I.
Plus, Elton refashioning God into his own gay image might tend to make quite a few people a little angry. Some might even consider Elton’s description of their (my) God as a flippant verbal slap. I personally don’t because I choose to not take up an offense about it. I also used to run in crowds, and know people today, that genuinely debate and sincerely wish that Jesus might have been gay. They weren’t trying to be cruel or insulting, they were desperately seeking spiritual answers that were congruent with their view of human sexuality and personal relational desires.
I don’t know if Elton was seeking to be mean or genuinely believes what he believes. Either way, he is absolutely incorrect saying that Jesus is gay. Jesus is not gay, He didn’t identify as such and there is nothing in the scriptures or respected historical writings to indicate that was even a possibility. He claims to be the fulfillment, not destruction of Old Testament Law. The Old Testament condemned homosexual behavior. Jesus took that condemnation off of us and paid the price for it on the cross. Now, in the light of the Resurrection, I know from scripture and experience, that He looks upon those who identify as gay and those of us who have in the past or do currently struggle with same sex attractions with Divine and perfect love. A greater Love than we can even possibly imagine. He doesn’t see us through the filter of our sexual impulses, He knows us by name and wants to commune with us.
Jesus is passionate about His Creation and He does more than “understand” human problems. He wants to intervene and redeem us if we allow Him to do so. On the cross … He seeks to forgive us all for we all crucified Him in the sense that His crucifixion was the atonement of all of mankind’s sin. This atonement is made available to those who would believe. While on this earth we will have trouble and tribulation. But faith in Christ, and in Christ alone, will put us in right standing before a God of Truth, Atonement and Forgiveness. A God Who is the perfect embodiment and Author of Justice, Love, Grace and Mercy.
Jesus does want us to be loving and forgiving. That is very true. But there is more, He also calls us to repentance. Those that have been forgiven much love much. To experience a supernatural love and redemption opens our eyes to our own frailties and need for God’s love, healing and guidance. That humbling perspective empowers Christ-like grace and love toward others in truth and not diluted by cultural or political correctness. This is why we call Him “Savior” and “Lord” ever mindful that we are no more deserving of God’s love than the person who has yet to cry out to Him.
Reading the full article about Elton touches my heart for him. I have loved Elton John since I was a little kid. I didn’t just love his music, I loved his humor and personality and singing his songs on my little portable radio. I even won two free haircuts at SuperCuts off the local radio station because I recognized a song snippet of his “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” and was the eighth person to call in with the correct answer. Good memories that are tough to place into context of his own testimony of heartache and failure.
I will be praying for Elton to meet the Jesus I know. While the world recognizes the name and celebrity of Elton John, nothing will compare to the day when he hears God calling his name.
About Randy Thomas
Forgive me for not reading the entire post first. My allergy meds make it impossible to focus enough to read right now. But I’ll say this for now.
How could Jesus be identified as Gay when He resisted ALL temptation?
I might desire to pig out on crab legs. That doesn’t make me an octopus. It would also be very unhealthy as I have a potent allergy to most seafood. Likewise, the “gay” lifestyle is something many people identify with and enjoy and in the attempt to justify it they try to make the world fit their personal mold. But there’s a fatal response, an allergic reaction, in the spirit-being we are. We KNOW there’s far more to be had, but we can’t see outside the self-made mold. And death creeps closer.
If we’re numb to the allergic reactions in life, we stop seeing that we’re eating the wrong food.
I think Jesus would only identify as God, the Son of God etc.
I don’t know, not having been raised in the church I didn’t have an allergic reaction to being gay at all. Am I missing the metaphor here?
Forgive me for not reading the entire post first. My allergy meds make it impossible to focus enough to read right now. But I’ll say this for now.
How could Jesus be identified as Gay when He resisted ALL temptation?
I might desire to pig out on crab legs. That doesn’t make me an octopus. It would also be very unhealthy as I have a potent allergy to most seafood. Likewise, the “gay” lifestyle is something many people identify with and enjoy and in the attempt to justify it they try to make the world fit their personal mold. But there’s a fatal response, an allergic reaction, in the spirit-being we are. We KNOW there’s far more to be had, but we can’t see outside the self-made mold. And death creeps closer.
If we’re numb to the allergic reactions in life, we stop seeing that we’re eating the wrong food.
I think Jesus would only identify as God, the Son of God etc.
I don’t know, not having been raised in the church I didn’t have an allergic reaction to being gay at all. Am I missing the metaphor here?
Hi, Randy. Wow! That is a really thoughtful article. Not just Elton, but all of us tend to narrow Jesus into our own small life context making Him to be as small as we are so that we are not overwhelmed by our own sad state. He CREATED sexuality. He CREATED the universe. He IS GOD!!! God does not define HIMSELF by his sexual behavior, but by His love and proven character. I,too, have always loved Elton John’s music. May the great “lover of his soul” show him a love so much greater than mere sexual pleasure that Elton will be ravished by unspeakable agape of God.
Amen! Thank you Kay.
Hi, Randy. Wow! That is a really thoughtful article. Not just Elton, but all of us tend to narrow Jesus into our own small life context making Him to be as small as we are so that we are not overwhelmed by our own sad state. He CREATED sexuality. He CREATED the universe. He IS GOD!!! God does not define HIMSELF by his sexual behavior, but by His love and proven character. I,too, have always loved Elton John’s music. May the great “lover of his soul” show him a love so much greater than mere sexual pleasure that Elton will be ravished by unspeakable agape of God.
Amen! Thank you Kay.