Deny yourself...

[drewcaine]

This is something that popped into my head during my bath-Jesus tells us to deny ourselves...so to me that sounds like don't be homosexual, but wouldn't that also mean don't be heterosexual as well?
What I think is that it means deny ourselve's as to not change our sexual orientation (it can't be changed anyway), because most people try to change it, but Jesus wants us to deny that...I hope I didn't misconstrue the Bible.
drewcaine

[u-dog]

This is something that popped into my head during my bath-Jesus tells us to deny ourselves...so to me that sounds like don't be homosexual, but wouldn't that also mean don't be heterosexual as well?
What I think is that it means deny ourselve's as to not change our sexual orientation (it can't be changed anyway), because most people try to change it, but Jesus wants us to deny that...I hope I didn't misconstrue the Bible.
drewcaine


Hey Drew,

Could you give us a clue where in the gospels you are talking about? I suppose I could search Biblegateway for it... but I'm lazy.

[drewcaine]

I don't know where it occurs, but I'm certain that it does.
drewcaine

[u-dog]

I don't know where it occurs, but I'm certain that it does.
drewcaine

me too! I was just trying to save mysef some work.

[sailaway58]

Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

It has nothing to do with sexual orientation.
Just put Christ before yourself. Could that mean you should be celibate? Maybe. Does that mean you should change your orientation? No.

[Steven E. Webster]

Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

It has nothing to do with sexual orientation.
Just put Christ before yourself. Could that mean you should be celibate? Maybe. Does that mean you should change your orientation? No.

What does "cross" mean in this context? Crosses were tools of torture and capital punishment used by the Romans to humiliate, intimidate and control the peoples their Empire was controlling and oppressing. Jesus was crucified by Rome because the Romans and their puppets in Jerusalem thought Jesus' movement was a danger to their control.

"Deny yourself and take up his cross" means to follow Jesus' example of courage and sacrifice.

One looks at all these "successful" televangelists who pride themselves on being close to the powerful in the American Empire, and one wonders if they are following Jesus' example and taking up the cross, or if they are following the examples of the Jerusalem authorities pursuing the favors of Rome.

Another way of interpreting "deny yourself and take up the cross" might involve limiting one's possessions so that one can take care of the poor and be less a burden on the environment. I don't believe "denying oneself" means being celibate if one is not called to be celibate. Some people are called to serve God that way, but not many. Others serve God in marriage--whether it is heterosexual or homosexual marriage. My husband and I had a Christian marriage--we view our partnership as something not just for our own benefit, but as building up God's Beloved Community in this world.

Whatever a Christian does with his or her life, that Christian should consider how their way of life advances the "Kingdom of God." Some would say "Kindom of God" or even better "the Beloved Community" (Martin Luther King's expression for "Kingdom of God.") Whatever one might sacrifice to further the Beloved Community is "denying oneself" to follow Christ. (And believe me, every marriage involves some sacrifice, some denying of oneself for the good of the partnership--but it does not mean the loss of oneself--that would be self-defeating.)

Steven Webster