Monday, September 18, 2017

Jesus isn't about morality

Jesus was a moral guy, but he hasn't built his kingdom on morality.

There's no indication that he engaged or won over anyone but avoiding them over their moral behavior. Rather it's his presence in their lives and in their homes that did that. Given an invitation to a gay friend's wedding, I've no question what he would do, whatever you believe his views on homosexuality to be. He'd attend. Look at the biblical record.

When Adam sinned, God didn't stay away, fearful of appearing to approve the decision to wreck their harmony. Instead he went into the Garden, looked for him, and called to him.

When Jesus saw people overindulging, he didn't stay away for fear of being seen as a hedonist. He ate and drank with them, and become a friend of gluttons and drunkards.

When the father saw his son, he didn't hold back to avoid endorsing all that his son had done in a faroff land. After spending all that time looking for his son, the father ran down the road to meet him, welcomed him home, and threw a party.

Years ago I heard about a missionary in India whose neighbor had a valuable cow. The missionary believed that the cow was valued inappropriately, but when the cow died, he went and mourned with his neighbor.

Scripture enjoins us to laugh with those who laugh and mourn with those who mourn. We'd make a much better and more Christlike impression by attending the weddings of our gay friends and wishing them well than by absenting ourselves and claiming that we're doing it out of obedience to God.

God never commanded a anything of the sort, and it's not what Jesus would do either.

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