Jesus and gays: "There are indeed eunuchs who were born like this from their mother's womb"

Biblical reflections published on the site Would Jesus Discriminate? (United States), freely translated by Silvia Lanzi

Here Jesus is referring to “eunuchs who are like this from birth”. This terminology (“born eunuchs”) was used in the ancient world to refer to homosexual men. Jesus indicates that being “born a eunuch” is a gift from God.
Some Christians confidently assert that God did not create homosexual people “that way.” This is important, because they realize that if God created gays “this way,” rejecting them would be rejecting God's work in creation.

In pressing their “order of creation,” some Christians are wont to say “God created Adam and Eve, and not Adam and Stephen!” To strengthen their position, they often cite Jesus' words in Matthew 19:4-5, where he answers a question about whether divorce is permissible: “Jesus answered and said to them, 'Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning created them male and female?' And he said: 'Therefore a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? Therefore what God has joined together, let no man put asunder."

From these words, some Christians draw the conclusion that heterosexuality is the norm of creation and, similarly, heterosexual marriage is the only legitimate way for people to form romantic relationships. Ironically, Jesus' own words, in the very same passage, refute these conclusions. As the dialogue continues, Jesus' disciples are disturbed by his strict teaching on divorce. The disciples say that if divorce were not an easy option, perhaps it would be better for the man not to marry the woman. Jesus replies: “Not everyone can understand it, but only those to whom it has been granted. For there are eunuchs who were thus born from their mother's womb; there are some who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are others who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven. Who can understand, understand" (Matthew 19:11-12).

Here Jesus identifies three classes of men who should not marry women. Taking his categories in reverse order, first are those who have become “eunuchs” for the Kingdom of Heaven, that is, those who renounce marriage to better serve God. Then he mentions those who have been “made eunuchs by others”, an apparent reference to castrated males. But Jesus mentions a third category – the eunuchs who were born this way. Some may think that Jesus was referring to males born without testicles, but this would be extremely rare. Furthermore, this interpretation ignores how the term “born eunuchs” is used in other literatures of the time.

In the ancient world, including ancient Jewish culture (as reflected in the Talmud), “natural” or “born” eunuchs were not associated with missing testicles, rather they were associated with stereotypically effeminate characteristics and behavior (like today's gays), that Rabbi Eliezer thought should be “cured” (like today's gays). Furthermore, as we have seen, eunuchs were commonly associated with homosexual desire. Like any reasonably informed person of his time, Jesus should have been aware of this common view of eunuchs. But, trivially, he says that some people were simply born that way. The implication of this statement is profound – God created gay people as they are! Jesus says it.

Unlike Rabbi Eliezer, Jesus does not feel the need to “cure” those born eunuchs. He does not utter words of condemnation; rather it lists people born gay alongside another honored class (eunuchs for the Kingdom) and accepts them as a natural part of God's order of creation.

Thus, when we read Matthew 19 as a whole, we see that Jesus teaches that most people are created for heterosexual marriage (we also accept this as the predominant paradigm of God's creation). But, unlike some modern Christians, Jesus does not see this as the only honorable way to live. Jesus recognizes that some human beings were created by God to follow a less common, but equally legitimate path. There are some who are eunuchs from birth – created so by God.

Original text: Jesus said some are born gay.