In Jesus’ time, the nation of Israel was under Roman rule. The Israelites were allowed to live there and practice their faith for the most part, but they had to pay taxes to Caesar and obey the Roman laws.
To the Israelites, the Romans were evil and ungodly. They had no place ruling over God’s chosen people in God’s chosen nation. That land had been promised to Moses and his descendants when God brought them out of Egypt. Their very presence in the land was blasphemous.
One of the Roman laws stated that any man could be required to drop what he was doing and carry a Roman soldier’s equipment for him for up to a mile. In the Sermon on the Mount, with his followers gathered around him, Jesus referenced that law and told his followers what they should do in that case:
“If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.” ~Matthew 5:41
Go with them two miles. That was not the advice that most of the people in the crowd that day had been hoping for. That was not the conclusion that they would have come to on their own, following this man that they hoped would lead them to victory over the Romans. That was certainly not respecting their religious beliefs — go with them two! What if their neighbors saw! What if seeing them carrying the Roman’s equipment caused other Jews to think the Roman oppression was okay? What if there was other work that needed to be done — good work, charity work even, but they spent all that time carrying equipment for the evil oppressor? But Jesus is not worried about any of that:
“If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also,” he said. “And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Christians, our Jesus said, “Go with them two.”
If you believe gay marriage is immoral (I don’t, myself) and a gay couple comes into your shop and asks you to bake a cake for their wedding, what should you do? If God causes the sun to rise and the rain to fall on the wedding days of straight and gay couples, then what is our responsibility? If it is against the law to discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation, but you believe strongly that their lifestyle is immoral, what should you do?
Christians, our Jesus said, “Go with them two.”
If you are wondering if it is worth being sued and losing your business to stand up for what you believe is right, if you miss the look of hurt in the couple’s eyes when you refuse them and only see an angry, media-driven, ACLU-led mob attacking the small business owner who is only standing up for what you believe in, what should you do?
Christians, our Jesus said, “Go with them two.”
Jesus said, not only should you follow the law of the land — the law which in America for the most part prohibits discrimination against people because of their sexual orientation — not only should you do the minimum you have to do, you should go the extra mile. (Yes, that’s where that expression comes from!) Do *twice* what the law requires.
If someone forces you to bake a cake for a gay wedding, bake for them two.
Christians, our Jesus said to not only follow the law, but to rise to a higher standard of love. Christians should be the FIRST people baking cakes — for everyone who asks us. We should be known for our cake baking. People should be saying, “There go those crazy Christians again, baking cakes for everyone. They just won’t quit!” Then, when we share the reason for our wild, all-inclusive love, people will want to hear it. “Let your light shine before others,” said Jesus, “that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Christians, when we dig our heels in and insist on our right to discriminate, we are hurting people — we are hurting so many people, so deeply. Behind the ACLU and the liberal media are real people, who have been hurt again and again in the name of Christ. Christians, you and I have hurt them. I know most of us have really good intentions, but we are making Jesus the last thing they want to hear about.
If we “snatch one person from the fire” by refusing to condone behavior we believe is immoral, but send hundreds and thousands of others fleeing churches and Christianity entirely, what have we really accomplished? Someone else will make that cake and fewer and fewer people will look to Christianity for love and hope. We will have won a battle that we were never called to fight in the first place, but lost the war.
*****
Friends, after receiving more than 1500 comments this past week, I’m closing the comments section on this post. I want you to know that I value all of you who took the time to leave a comment, even those who disagreed with me, and especially those on all sides of the issue who vulnerably shared their stories of hurt and healing.
If you would like to read other Christians’ perspective on this issue, or find places for further discussion, I have shared some resources that have been helpful to me here: BFTT follow up and resources.
If you are curious how I came to support gay marriage and full inclusion of LGBT Christians in the body of Christ, you can read about that here.
If you have felt rejected or unloved by Christians or the church because of your sexuality or gender identity, please read my post We choose you.
And please check out Faithfully LGBT and their wonderful photo series of LGBT people of faith.
Love,
Jessica
Ten Thousand Places 
Thank you so much for these words. In an ugly situation, it has amazed me that so many that are called to love seem to not come from that position. This is a voice that needs to be heard and remind others what they should be doing! Thank you for voicing it in a non-accusatory way that won’t create an automatic defensiveness.
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Your blog is ‘spot on’! I am a pastor (over 35 years) and definitely pro-TRADITIONAL marriage; yet, your referencing Matthew 5:41 is both humbling and a gospel-expressing truth. BEST blog comment to date! Thank you for a moment of sane-ness.
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Thank you, Joey!
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I agree with the religious message of the posting. But I think people are missing the real debate here. The real debate has nothing to do with being gay or being Christian.
The real debate is this: does a government body have the power, under the constitution, to force a person to participate in something (in this case a ceremony) that goes against their religion.
Remember, law is universal, you do it for one situation, it effects ALL other situations that you can plugin that are similar. This is why even some gay folks are for this law. It protects the little guy from government over-reach and allows for more freedom to an individual to believe what they believe.
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How dare you use your own words and call it scripture. You don’t get to “interpret” what Christ said and pass it off as scripture. At the very least let people know that it’s your opinion and don’t hide it by putting a bible verse behind it. That being said, I agree with the premise of your post. As Christians we are called to love and care for everyone just based on the fact they are human, not by anything else that defines them.
Do I believe homosexuality is a sin? Yes, but that does not mean I dislike the person. It is not my place to judge. Some of my good friends are gay. I don’t want to hear about their lifestyle and they don’t want to hear about my religion so we leave it out of the equation. Yet we both know where the other one stands. Jesus ate with the sinners and outcasts, he showed them love and compassion. He did so because it was where he was needed most. I am not called to lead Christians to Christ, they’re already there. I am compelled to bring new believers into the fold, not through hate and judgment but love and compassion.
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Hi Karen, thanks for commenting. I thought my essay made it clear that I was paraphrasing the passage in order to make a point, but since a couple of people didn’t understand that I took down the picture with my paraphrase in quotes.
Best,
Jessica
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Can someone comment on here with an opposing point of view and not be considered hateful?
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Hi Maggie — I think the answer is: Yes, but only if they really understand why so many people are feeling hated. I tried to explain it a little here: https://tenthousandplaces.org/2015/04/20/the-long-slow-work-of-love/
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Even if you believe the bible is the true word of God, don’t you realize, the new covenant of Jesus supersedes all others and has 2 laws: love God with all your heart and soul and love your neighbor as yourself. All true Christians love one another and leave the judgment to God.
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Thank you for this. I am not religious, mostly because my brain does not work that way, but I appreciate thinking believers of all sorts. I have always wondered why business owners don’t just say “I’m sorry. I won’t be able to make your cake/take your pictures/etc.” and let it go at that. No one gets sued. No one goes away hurt. Everyone gets to keep their own beliefs and opinions without it becoming a public issue. It’s civil and concise. Why is that so difficult?
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I guess you would not bake a cake for me at all! Three comments of mine and all put into eternal moderation because …? I said nothing vicious nor derogatory. (Although I read comments where those presenting opposing opinions were called hypocrites or that the person exposing their opposing feelings made the person want to puke – how uplifting and healing those comments are!) What you have done is a case of Biblical ventriloquism – set the Bible on your lap and make it say (wow!) exactly what you would say. Why didn’t Jesus tell the Jews that if a Roman asked them to bow to the image of Caesar that they should bow twice? He chose a task not related to morality. You have then pushed that to suggest people be involved (in their minds) in immoral actions – and so for that the issue of offering meat to idols in 1 Corinthians appears to be a more relevant text to consider. But you have decided not to show any of my comments – so as I said – no cake for me. How about this paraphrase? “If a conservative asks you to post one comment – you should post two.”
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Hi Jeff, I went through as many comments as I could, but after barely eating or sleeping for two weeks I had to call it quits and return to my other responsibilities. There are several hundred comments that I never even read. I did my best by offering resources for further reading and discussion, here. I feel bad, but on the other hand, I’m not a business offering to post people’s comments for money — in that case I might have to follow my own advice and post ones I disagree with. What I am is a blogger offering my thoughts and words for free, and those are available to you regardless of your race, political leanings, or sexual orientation. I did my best to go through the comments thoughtfully and prayerfully, to respond to the ones asking me questions, and to moderate the discussion, but the scope of the response (about 1500 comments total)was just beyond the resources I could put into it.
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This is beautifully and profoundly written, Jessica. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
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I am a retired English teacher, and I just had the horrible thought that God is not omnipotent, and he a poor grammarian to boot. In fact if Jesus were in my class, he would not pass the course. You quote Matthew 5:41 to read: “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.” I checked the source. That is not what Jesus or, whoever, said. What a relief! Jesus knows that “anyone” is singular and “them” is plural. The world is still safe in his hands. What is written in Matthew 5:41 is “And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.” Not only is the grammar correct, but God is also a poet. Jesus gets an A Plus. But you people flunk.
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Hi Lee, sorry I didn’t see your comment until now! I was quoting the New International Version, whereas your quote is from the King James. In fact, Jesus said neither of those things: He most likely spoke in Aramaic which was translated by the Gospel writers into Greek, which was then translated into English for those of us who cannot read Greek. If you can, and want to check Matthew’s grammar, this is how verse 41 reads in Greek: 41 και οστις σε αγγαρευσει μιλιον εν υπαγε μετ αυτου δυο
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I really appreciate this. As a person who left the church (though not necessarily my belief, but certainly the religion) I can say that growing up in a very conservative ideological system left me feeling lost, confused, and abandoned. After I came out I knew I would never be welcomed back by the congregation, and that was partially okay. I never intend on going back, but at the same time I can’t deny the pain I feel knowing that so many relationships I had built would diminish because of who I am.
I always plan to practice kindness, love, and compassion. That is my ultimate focus. I tend to struggle most with compassion towards the Christian community because that is my source of pain and rejection; however, I am moving past it by keeping the mindset of loving servitude at my forefront.
I slightly digress, but essentially I think this is such a loving and practical message that I believe is applicable to more than just this issue. Xxx
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Splendid analogy. Thank you for your thoughtful words.
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What has always been interesting to me is, there is a lot of sins according to the Christian belief right? and we could say somebody being gay is obvious for the other person to judge it. So what I mean is that we don’t know what everybody’s dark sins are. How do you know if the cake is being made for a killer, thief, or any other sinner? you don’t know. So why discriminate one person for being gay and not others? Everybody is a sinner, everybody is flawed. So knowing this we should always bake two cakes for anybody no matter their religion, orientation, race or somebody that you don’t agree with. Is just as simple as loving thy neighbor. If being gay was a sin in Jesus eyes, didn’t he die for ALL sins? so isn’t dying for people’s sins bigger than baking two cakes? HE STILL LOVED, he showed by dying in the cross that he loves us no matter what, and that compassion and true unconitional love is the answer. He showed us that even with our free will, and us choosing sometimes a dark path, he still loves us. By being compassionate and loving to us , he hopes that by seeing the love he gives us everyday we can choose the right path and turn to the light. If we show our neighbors hate how do we expect them to be led to the light? How can we think we are more righteous than others, when we know we have also sinned. At the end we are only responsible for our own deeds. If others are sinning, is not our job to hate, or judge them. It is in God’s hand. And God’s hand is loving and compassionate. Love you!
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I really love what you have to say here, and I agree: if you are a Christian baker, and you are asked to bake a cake for a SSM, you should do it. And, you should bake two. Because that’s what Jesus asks of his followers.
However, as a long-time Christian liberal and supporter of SSM, I also think that we cannot simply point the finger at people who are anti-SSM; we need to think about how we, too, need to lay down our rights and respond with non-retaliation.
And I think what that means is that if we ask a baker to make a cake for a SSM and they say no, we don’t sue them or seek to destroy their business. We take our business elsewhere, and maybe buy a cookie from that baker on our way out. We lay down our rights and respond in love. And, YES, it is incredibly hard to ask people who have so long been deprived rights to lay them down, but that’s exactly what Jesus himself was doing. He was not telling the Romans to lay down their rights; he was telling his Jewish followers, who were already so oppressed by the Romans, to not assert the few rights they had. That is a hard teaching, but that is what non-retaliation looks like in practice. We can protest discriminatory laws while refusing to retaliate against individual service providers.
In practice, I think what this means is that instead of mocking the owner of Memories Pizza in IN, or placing prank orders to her store, or voting her down on Yelp, we should have sent her a message–maybe even a donation (not that she needed any more!)–saying, “Sister, I disagree deeply with you about this, but I love you, and what is being done to you is not okay. I stand with you and am praying for your safety and well-being even though I disagree with you.” Because that’s what we want to see from anti-SSM people in regard to our LGBT brothers and sisters, right?
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Reblogged this on The Kelsey Mac.
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The only problem I have with that is this. It would be like saying, “He’s an alcohol who has asked me for a drink. I will not only give him one drink, but I will be s real enabler and give him two.” I don’t think it is as simple as what has been demonstrated in the article. It sounds great in theory, yet I don’t think it can be applied to this subject. It should be a matter of personal convictions. No one should be unkind, but no one should be forced and be treated unkindly for standing on their convictions. There are plenty of bakeries. Just go to the next one. Heck, go to a grocery store with a bakery. They are not likely to turn down any business. This seems to have become a mouse trap to harm the Christian. Also, don’t ask anyone’s opinion just to make news and start scandal.
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This is so very good. I wish many more will read it and be convicted. It has been a great concern of mine that all the hateful comments from the right are resulting in people disillusioned with the church and Christianity. (Not that the left doesn’t make similar comments, just that the right is often called the religeous right. And so a more Christ-like attitude is expected but is not being seen.) It doesn’t help that other groups also on the right but not particularly religeous use even more hateful and foul language. For the nonchristian it is difficult to discern, if they even try, between the two groups. The nonchristians know that Christians are supposed to be showing the love of Christ and that is not what they are seeing.
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I am a Christian, too, a Mormon in fact, and my daughter and I were talking about the same thing last night. I love your application of Christ’s teachings in this way. He surely wants us to love and care for each other, not refuse each other!
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I am really happy to see this article. We need more perspective like this and it is so refreshing. I do take exception with demonizing the ACLU however. The ACLU has a long history of SUPPORTING religious freedom of every American citizen. They do that with lawsuits supporting individuals when necessary and they also do that by insuring that government does not overstep it’s religiously neutral bounds. They support everyone equally under constitutional laws — even people we might not like which often gives the impression that they are “bad guys”. Maligning the ACLU is not helpful to our national conversation. If you think they are anti-religion, look again. They are fighting for YOUR rights.
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Hi Kathy, thanks for commenting. I understand what you’re saying. I don’t myself think the ACLU are the bad guys, but I do think they are seen that way in some Christian circles.
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Thank you. You hit the nail on the head. The premise of this is precisely why Christiany is disappearing. There are too many selfish, hateful, ugly “Christians” making a mockery of the religion through their convoluted misinterpretations and misrepresentations of Jesus’s teachings. Share this truth far and wide to remind myself and every person I can that Jesus *is* and always will be LOVE.
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i wish more of your faith were as kind, thouhtful, and true to the teachings of Christ as you are. thanks for spreading the good word AND The Good Word.
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Finally someone who actually read the Bible and knows its content!!! I will be sharing!!
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I would like to please correct assumptions. Being gay is not a choice. Why would anyone make the choice to be treated this way. I didn’t make the choice when I was 4 (yes 4) and had a crush on a girl, nor am I flawed for this. I never had feelings for the opposite sex, and god knows I have really made an effort. You cannot force a square peg into a circle. It seems to me that love the sinner hate the sin policy hurts even deeper than the initial intent of compassion. Likewise, please place yourself in the position of the gay couple. If one baker turns them away, most reply go somewhere else. What happens when every baker turns them away? Please understand that not so long ago some Christians labelled interracial marriage as against gods plan, and used scripture to support this notion. Faith is a right, but hurting people who are seeking a simple service you provide seems like taking gods role and judgement into your own hands. I wish love would be the common theme here. I am Christian and I am gay.
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I shared this post with the comment “My heart in words!” and it really is! I could not have said it better. What a beautifuly written and important post. Such an important thing for all christians to understand and remember. My heart breaks for the hurt that has been caused (especially in the LGBT community) to so many in the name of Christ. My prayer is that all christians come to a place where that same thing breaks their hearts and change occurs.
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I wish that more people of faith felt this way.
I’m an Agnostic Deist and I am one of those people behind the ACLU and Liberal media that is so decried by people of faith. When I think of Christians what I see are Westboro Baptists, people who attack abortion clinics and tell me I’m hellbound because I don’t believe as they do.
I’m not gay, but my friends who are feel like they are despised by the faithful. I know Gays who were faithful churchgoers and fervently believed until they came out. They were told not to come back until they weren’t Gay anymore. I have told them that God hasn’t rejected them, just Christians.
I hope that many hear your message. I really do.
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Carrying something for someone isn’t per se an immoral activity. Do you think that statement of Jesus’s would apply if you believe the thing you are being forced to do (presumably by some oppressive, totalitarian occupying force like ancient Rome) is immoral? For example, would Jesus have said, “If someone forces you to bow to one pagan god, bow to two pagan gods”? Or how about, “If someone forces you to flog one innocent man, flog two innocent men”?
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It’s an interesting question, Gradivus. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 8 that, “an idol is nothing” and therefore eating meat sacrificed to idols is fine if your conscious allows it. As a young Christian in high school I always thought pledging allegiance to the flag felt somewhat idolatrous, but I mostly did it anyway, and I don’t think God was angry with me. And the very law that Jesus was referencing in Matt 5:41 was used to enlist Simon of Cyrene to help carry Jesus’ cross, thus assisting in the crucifixion of an innocent man: The only innocent man in all of history. It is incredibly powerful to me to think that Jesus knew that was going to happen, when he was preaching the Sermon on the Mount. It wasn’t just theory and theology he was talking about, it was his own life, blood, and sweat. Anyway, I think there is a difference between civil disobedience and discrimination. I think Rogery Dewey explained it well in this article: http://www.hellohoratio.com/articles/culture/army-discriminated-against-me-because-my-religion
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I am one of those people who has been hurt over and over again by people wielding a cross. The most grievous wound was by my own mother, who rejected me after I told her I was gay when I was 17, forcing me into homelessness while she and my dad gave obscene amounts of money to Pat Robertson. Sadly, I know dozens of gay people who were also kicked out for being gay.
It’s funny, how people choose to highlight the “sin” of homosexuality instead of the “sin” of divorce/adultery, which is mentioned at least quadruple the times that homosexuality is. Don’t you realize that you come off as hypocritical jerks when you do that?
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Catt-o-nine, I’m so sorry that you were hurt in that way.
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“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
(or at least something to that effect, since the quote might not be exact.)
–Mohandas K. Gandhi
I do not think that Gandhi was talking about Christians like you, Jessica.
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Thanks for a wonderful article–almost always right on-target!
There is one factual error in the article that I point out because the error you make is VERY widespread.
You wrote: “Jesus said, not only should you follow the law of the land — the law which in America for the most part prohibits discrimination against people because of their sexual orientation —…”
The fact is that LGBT civil rights are NOT protected in most of the United States. We’re talking about discrimination by businesses against their customers here, and I couldn’t quickly find the details about that. But laws banning such discrimination are usually part of a package that also bans employment discrimination, and very few states have such laws (22 of 50, with North Dakota just turning down the opportunity to move forward).
https://www.aclu.org/maps/non-discrimination-laws-state-state-information-map
There are executive orders covering state employment in some states, and many cities and counties (six in Indiana) have ordinances banning discrimination. That brings the number of grey states down somewhat:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_the_United_States#Employment
But I don’t think that one can say that “for the most part” discrimination is banned in the United States.
Can you fix your otherwise excellent post to reflect this?
Thanks!
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I don’t know if you’ll see this because there are so many comments, but in case you do I wanted to say well done. This is a great perspective to have. I like how you compared the two cultures as well. I’m a minister so I really appreciate any new insights on this issue.
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You are a very special person. Thanks for sharing 🙂
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Reblogged this on Living Life Day by Day … and commented:
‘To be’ or ‘not to be’ has evolved somewhat into ‘support’ or ‘not support’ because the ever lasting question most Christians ask themselves is: “how can I support something that goes so much against the grain of what I have been taught?”
Thankfully, here is a really great answer- well in my opinion anyway, and you are more than free to disagree but I think this post hits the proverbial nail on the head.
I don’t do it enough as I should, but in today’s mad chaotic world of war, famine, inflation, unemployment, stress, cancer, murders and suicides (to name a few things) now may be the right time to pause before asking myself (and without passing judgement) : “What would Jesus do?” Definitely something to think about and thanks to http://tenthousandplaces.org for sharing.
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I am a Christian,and I also believe, don’t just talk the talk , but walk the walk. How can I expect people to be respectful and kind to me , if I don’t extend them the same courtesy. We are all children of God and deserve to be happy and have a great family . How many children are waiting for parents to adopt them. And the sorry excuse about, what if a gay couple gets divorced what happens to the children. Divorce can happen to any family straight or gay. A man and a woman don’t automatically make you good parents .
We all can make this world a better place , just by being kind to each other .
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I enjoyed the article and will repost.
“That land had been promised to Moses and his descendants”
I think you meant ‘Abraham and his descendants’. God promised the land to Abraham, before Egypt. Though Moses lead them out of Egypt, they weren’t all his descendants.
I know that’s pedantic. I don’t need to see this posted. Just, why get hung-up on a small oversight, right?
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😉
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This article is great. People seem to forget what Jesus’ message actually was, and what he did with his own actions. It doesn’t seem to me that Christians who refuse service to gays in this way are acting out of a place of love. It seems that they are trying to prove something…perhaps that they are such good Christians or that they can follow rules the best and “look at us! We’re doing it RIGHT”. Jesus had strong words for people making that mistake.
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I LOVE THIS
““Let your light shine before others,” said Jesus, “that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Christians, when we dig our heels in and insist on our right to discriminate, we are hurting people — we are hurting so many people, so deeply. Behind the ACLU and the liberal media are real people, who have been hurt again and again in the name of Christ. Christians, you and I have hurt them. I know most of us have really good intentions, but we are making Jesus the last thing they want to hear about.”
GO ON SISTER!
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Thank you so much for writing this story. I may not be a Christian but, IMHO you share the essence and the beauty of Christianity. Bless you.
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Beautiful post! I have stepped away from the church some years ago although I still practice the Word of God and I am so glad that some people are reading the Word and know that it is not our place to judge, but only HIS. Bless you because I’m sharing this and I hope it touches others
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Thank you for your very thoughtful and beautifully written post! I wish that I could bake you a cake! — peace, dc
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Thanks, Donna! 🙂
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Love Thy Neighbor!
Thy Homeless Neighbor,
Thy Muslim Neighbor,
Thy Black Neighbor,
Thy Gay Neighbor,
Thy White Neighbor,
Thy Jewish Neighbor,
Thy Christian Neighbor,
Thy Atheist Neighbor,
Thy Racist Neighbor,
Thy Addicted Neighbor,
Thy Emotionally-Unstable Neighbor,
Thy Heterosexual Neighbor,
Thy Transexual Neighbor,
Thy Republican Neighbor,
Thy Tree-Hugging Neighbor,
Thy Vegan Neighbor,
Thy Meat-Eating Neighbor,
Thy Sexist Neighbor,
Thy Old Neighbor,
Thy Buddhist Neighbor,
Thy Hindu Neighbor,
Thy Drug-Dealing Neighbor,
Thy Hispanic Neighbor,
Thy Democratic Neighbor,
Thy Handicapped Neighbor,
Thy Mentally-Unstable Neighbor,
Thy Angry Neighbor,
Thy Military Neighbor,
Thy Pacifist Neighbor,
Thy Anarchist Neighbor,
Thy Filipino Neighbor,
Thy Asian Neighbor,
Thy Professor Neighbor,
Thy Janitor Neighbor,
Thy Attorney Neighbor,
Thy Firefighter Neighbor,
Thy Bus-Driver Neighbor,
Thy Politician Neighbor,
Thy Retired Neighbor…………….
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I thought you might want to hear this comment from one of my facebook friends.
“I’m not religious & don’t usually follow religious articles, but I clicked on this one & I could really feel the love of Jesus in the words.”
They are, incidentally, in a same sex relationship.
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Thank you for sharing that, Hannah! ❤
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Loved this, Jessica. I actually wrote on something very similar today on my blog. If we follow Jesus, we should be known for love–love all over the place. Thanks for sharing this!
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I really appreciated knowing the story of Jesus saying – IF HE ASKS YOU TO CARRY HIS THINGS ONE MILE – TAKE IT TWO MILES. It is showing love to a person living in oppression and power dynamic – it messes them up to question – WHY IS HE DOING THIS? And it plants a seed of compassion in the person who thinks he is the rightful oppressor. I am gobsmacked. Thank you for sharing.
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Lovely post. I would love to see more persons adopt this compassion and care.
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Thank you for making this hot button issue really simple. You have me thinking!
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Thank you so much for this! So appropriate for the crazy times we live in. So many Christians miss the point of Christianity.
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This is so incredibly heart-filling. Thank you. My heart has been aching over and over seeing the anger and ostracizing that many of my Christian friends so readily spread about this issue. It is truly not black and white, if you are willing to actually look into the original language and context debates, and regardless….Love is the trump card. Thank you.
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Never did Jesus approve of being bullied or being a doormat
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Catherine, thanks for your comment. To me the most powerful thing is that Jesus *did* allow himself to be bullied, falsely accused, beaten and mocked, and executed for a crime that he did not commit, all in the name of love. He did that for us. And we, as his followers, are called to show the same humility:
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross!” Philippians 2:3-8
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I honestly think both points of view are defensible. I think you can bake a cake for a gay marriage or not bake one and it is still okay. The Bible is clear on what sin is and the church is currently way too obsessed with homosexuality, but then that is likely a reaction to what is happening in our culture right now. I am sure if the focus was on multiple partner marriages, many Christians would be reacting the very same way. Something for the author to consider, taking the topic to it’s end result should pastors of churches be forced to marry anyone who wants to marry anyone else? What is the limit?
I think there is a thin line between baking the cake and having that serve as an endorsement of the event itself. That is where I think Christians struggle the most and that is valid. More than that, I have issues with government being used to force people to do things that go against their First Amendment rights.
Tolerance and Diversity are a door that swings both ways. Bullying, intimidation, and threats from either side of the issue do not do anyone any service. In the immortal words of John Lennon. “So if you going carrying pictures of Chairman Mao, you ain’t gonna make it with anyone anyhow” make that point well.
Both sides need to show restraint, but ultimately, these are individual decisions and should be respected as such. I do want to make it clear that in selling goods and hiring, I 100% support that no one who has the right qualifications should be denied the opportunity for a job or a cupcake. It’s only when a person is forced against their will to participate in an event that violates their beliefs, that we are entering different territory. I also think that Christians can let their customers know their feelings about baking the cake and what it means to them personally. In fact, I think that discussion is imperative.
If it was up to me, I would bake the cake.
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I appreciate the thought put into this. Will have to study this for myself. The only issue that I have with this post is that the referenced text doesn’t have which version of the Bible was used. Just for self study reasons its nice to know so I don’t have to look through all of them lol. Thanks for the post though.
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Justin, I used the NIV — New International Version!
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Romans 12:20 gives a good reason why this is a wise way to deal with people who don’t particularly like us. After telling us not to return evil with evil, and, that “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord”, in verse 19. Paul goes on to tell us, in verse 20, “To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head”. He finishes with verse 21, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” The writers of the time tell us that, when Caligula & Nero were persecuting & killing Christians, many Romans were wondering why these very considerate, caring, honest, clean living people were being treated like this…it was uncalled for. And, this is the lesson, don’t be wimps, but definitely do even kinder, more thoughtful things to those who are attacking you, because, then, they just look more hateful, and you look better.
Just sayin’
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Or, even better, do the kind, thoughtful things to those who are attacking you because Jesus loves them and died for them, just as he loves and died for you!
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Justin, the text cited is Matthew 5:41 and, so far as I know, is not a “disputed text”. The means that scholars generally agree that it is probably something that Jesus said. If you were to read it in the King James version, the text reads, “And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.” in the Revised Standard Version, used in most bible colleges, the text reads, “and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile.” In the NASB, preferred by Catholic and Episcopalian Christians, the text reads, “Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.” As you can see, the translators of different eras not only agree with the reading of the original Greek, they also agree among the texts available.
Hopefully not putting too fine a point on it, Jesus really did say that, in His view, it is better to serve those whom you find disagreeable with meekness, mercy and lovingkindness. This is the gist of most of the fifth chapter of Matthew and supports his reading of second commandment “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”, Mark 12:31.
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