The Myth of “The Other”: Shedding Christ’s Light into the Darkness of Homosexuality

By D.T. Powell

Modern Christianity shies from discussing homosexuality and other forms of sexual sin and deviance.
Now, more than ever, Christians must look to the Bible for answers on how to approach these issues.
Last week on the Brave Authors Blog, Aubrey Taylor, in her post, “Why Can’t We Talk About This?”
posits, “the church of today does not know what its response to homosexuality should be.” That’s an
incredibly accurate summation. Too many churches (and individual Christians) err to extremes when
dealing with homosexuality and related sins. Either they accept and affirm homosexuality, or they treat
every individual who even hints at claiming an LGBTQ label with extreme hostility.

Neither approach is Biblical.

Aubrey’s post mentions the incident from John 8 with the woman caught in adultery. Throughout the
Gospel of John, and specifically in this passage, I’m amazed and inspired by how Jesus deals with people.
Jesus is constantly bombarded by the Pharisees and other unbelieving, but well-learned men who try to
trap Him with questions they don’t see an answer to. But every time Jesus faces a seemingly impossible
dilemma, instead of submitting to the false dichotomies and other fallacies engrained in these men’s
reasoning, Jesus cuts straight through their attempted trickery to the heart behind the questions. The
incident in John 8 is a wonderful example of how He does this.

In John 8:5 (KJV), a group of men bring a woman to Jesus and say, “Moses in the law commanded us,
that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?” 

It’s a trap. At least, they think it is, because they’ve already misjudged the situation. They’ve come to the
conversation, not for the purpose of helping or restoring this woman who’s sinned, but because they hate
Jesus and are attempting to use this woman as a weapon against Him. (vs. 6) There is no love for God’s
Word in their hearts. They see the Law as a means to promote themselves and denigrate others. They have no care for those in sin’s grasp. 

Jesus doesn’t immediately answer them. (vs. 7) He gives them a chance to walk away. But they don’t.
They persist in badgering Jesus, hoping He’ll give them one of the two answers they think are
possible—both of which are condemning, in this case (stoning the woman in a grisly display of seeming
compliance with the Law, or saying her crime really isn’t so bad, and she doesn’t deserve punishment,
which is utter disregard for the Law). These men do not believe Jesus is Messiah, so they think He has the
same limitations and thought processes they do. But He is not just a man. He’s God—All-wise, All-
knowing. He knows both the hearts of the seemingly innocent men and the heart of the guilty woman.

So, Jesus answers this question, not with clever words or evasive double-speak, but with something these
men didn’t anticipate. He reminds them of their own guilt by writing their sins in the dirt. (vs. 6) [We’re
not explicitly told that’s what Jesus wrote here, but based on the responses of the men in question and the context of what’s happening, that’s the best estimate we have.] After He’s done writing their sins, he
stands up and says, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” (vs 7) Instead of
cowing at their false armor of righteousness, He pierces their poor illusion of superiority and spears their
hearts. Because the Word of God is “quick and powerful and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing
even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12-14 KJV)

Jesus issues this challenge and doesn’t even wait for a response before going right back to writing in the
dirt. (vs. 8) I can only imagine how that list of sins grew and how quickly these men noticed it. In verse 9, we see the result of Jesus’ answer. The men who’ve brought this woman for judgment are “convicted by
their own conscience,” and they leave “one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last.” Jesus
wrote what He knew was most convicting for each man present, because He saw their hearts and
reminded them of their own sin and just how much they too deserved judgment.

In the end, Jesus is left alone with the woman. (vs. 10) Which, isn’t every one of us ultimately left alone to
answer to God? (Rom. 14:11-12) So, Jesus asks this woman where her accusers are. But they’ve all left,
because they were just as guilty as she was, even if their sins weren’t identical to hers. (vs 11)
But the account doesn’t end there. We have one more loaded statement. “And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more.” This isn’t a dismissal of what she’s done. Jesus acknowledges her sin, but He forgives that sin and instructs her to change the way she’s living.

There’s a lot we can learn from this example, especially when dealing with people living in homosexuality
and other sexual sin:

1. We can’t come to the conversation like the Pharisees did, seeking to use someone else as a way to
   make ourselves look more righteous. “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”
   (James 4:6b KJV) If we come to this issue in pride, we’re here with the same mindset as many of
   the LGBTQ group, and pride cannot conquer pride. Only humility and grace can.
2. We can’t come to this thinking we know the hearts of everyone involved. Because we don’t. Not
   every person claiming an LGBTQ label wants to pick up a sword and campaign against the
   “fundamentalist patriarchal Christian oppressors,” although there are some who do want this.
   Many have claimed deviant labels because they’ve been unspeakably hurt by others, and this is
   the only refuge they can find. They believe friends, family, even God, and religion as a whole
   have abandoned them and have no love for them. And sadly, this conception gets reinforced every
   time someone who claims Christianity acts like they’re covered in refuse or have some virulent
   communicable disease.
3. We have to come to this conversation knowing that all involved need redemption, regardless of
   which particular sin they’ve committed. We were redeemed from hopeless darkness, too. What
   makes us suddenly separate from someone who’s sinned differently than we have? “For all have
   sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23 KJV). There is no “other” status with
   God. Only people who have and haven’t accepted Christ’s blood-bought gift of salvation.
4. We can’t get caught in arguments that become distractions. There are things we have to stick to.
   The Bible says homosexuality and other sexually deviant lifestyles are wrong. Men are men.
   Women are women. Marriage is between a man and a woman. We must not compromise these
   things, and they need to be preached boldly and unapologetically from every pulpit on the planet.
   In one-on-one conversation, there is a time and place for holding that line. However, that time and
   place isn’t in every other sentence. When we come to an interaction with someone who’s labeled
   themselves LGBTQ, we can’t expect them to have the same worldview and values we do.
   Because they won’t. This is something my upcoming novel, With Mercy’s Eyes, navigates on
   page. An overtly Christian widow has many interactions with a man whose husband recently
   passed away tragically. He knows what she believes, and she knows how he lives. Does it come
   up? Yes, but far less often than you might think. Instead of coming to these interactions with
   hostility, this woman brings compassion and quiet confidence. The Gospel, by nature, offends,
   and giving offensive Truth in love is vital. But we ought not add to that offense unnecessarily.
5. We must come to this conversation with a willingness to listen. Proverbs 18:13 KJV tells us, “He
   that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.” Every person is
   unique, and we’re all at different places in life, but we all need to come to a place of
   repentance—of seeing that our sin is ugly and horrifyingly wrong. Where one person may need a
   strong, or even severe, condemnation of the sin they’re living in, another may be wandering in the
   dark, bewildered and simply need someone to care enough to bring the Light and show them how
   to escape darkness. When we take the time to listen to God and others and find the heart behind
   what’s going on, we’re far more prepared to offer the solutions God gives in His Word. Jude 22 &
   23 tells us there are different approaches to evangelism, depending on the heart need. “And of
   some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the
   fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” 
   

Ultimately, it’s knowing what God said, who He is, and listening to His leading in each individual
situation. Is it hard? It definitely can be. But when we let go of our own human understanding and cling instead to what God has said and the example set by Jesus Christ, there is no limit to what God can do or who He can reach through us.

D. T. Powell grew up in a Christian home, loving books and reading.  Her daily habits include: reading dozens of pages, picking which book to read next, and archiving and listening to sacred music.

When she was nine, God sent a fictional character into her life who changed the way she looked at the world—and herself.

From then on, she wanted to show everyone what God had done for her, so she pursued an art degree… and was summarily kicked out of the program due to general lack of artistic talent.

Only after she graduated with a degree in business did she pick up the one utensil she had never thought to use, a pen. And she hasn’t put it down since.

To fill her writing day, she works on original stories, extensive fanfiction endeavors, and learning more about the craft of writing.

Her hobbies include hanging out with her husband and their three kitties, reading, playing pickleball, listening to music, and imagining scenes to use in future books.

She loves Psalm 126:5, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.”

You can find her at www.dtpowellwrites.com, on Instagram @dtill359, Facebook @D. T. Powell, Author, and Goodreads @D.T. Powell.