sermon excerpts: "Sex & the Bible"

Leviticus 18: 17-20 vs. Song of Songs 7: 6-12...

You really don’t have to read too far into any section of the Bible without finding some inconsistencies and contradictions. This all gives rise to the question, what is the Bible for us? How authoritatively are we supposed to refer to it? Granted we live in a very different society than the time of the Bible writers. Medical, scientific and technological advances have been mind boggling, the scale of economies has skyrocketed and yet, the struggles of humanity remain the same – seeking to find meaning and purpose in life, seeking to fall in love, seeking to be a better person, seeking to make the world a better place.

So in a sense, the Bible is about us. It is the story of humanity, not just one specific race or religious tradition, but about the triumphs and tragedies of women and men of every time and place. We learn how we, as a historic people of faith, have responded to situations that are beyond our control, how we might relate to others who are not the same, how we can repair broken communities.

Yes, the Bible is about us, but most importantly and most uniquely, it tells the full story of Jesus. (Of course, Islam and Judaism share much of the same story but I don’t have time to go into this portion of religious history today). Jesus himself proclaims that he is the one all the scriptures are talking about when they mention a Saviour, a Messiah. It was a bold and powerful statement that made him some enemies, that shaped an entire faith tradition.

In him, the Word of God was alive. Because of him, we’ve added an entire New Testament. He fulfilled the scriptures, he reinterpreted them for a new age. He simplified the many laws and ordinances to a simple concept: love. Love one another and love yourself.

So. Does that love include sex? What did Jesus say? Not much. Which isn’t enough to keep the minds of theologians and writers busy. Did Jesus have sex? There’s nothing in the Bible that says he did, so he must not have. Unless you follow the argument that there’s nothing in the Bible that says he didn’t, so like any ordinary man, he must have.

This is very much what A.J. Jacobs of The Year of Living Biblically found out when he comments, “I became the ultra-fundamentalist. I found that fundamentalists may claim to take the Bible literally, but they actually just pick and choose certain rules to follow. By taking fundamentalism extreme, I found that literalism is not the best way to interpret the Bible.”

We all have choices to make and do we choose a God of love or a God of power? Is the Bible is more descriptive than it is instructive?

When it comes to sex and the Bible, we find much of the commotion is about what not to do. Pretty much every mention of sex in the laws and statutes is negative. Because it speaks of sexual immorality, causing physical or emotional harm, frivolous treatment of another person; it speaks against abuse, incest, disrespect and violence.

What isn’t explicitly mentioned is the wondrous joy and value of expressing love and connection to another person through the blessings of a healthy sexual relationship. By concentrating on the negatives which are easier to identify and describe, the positives are neglected, taken for granted. Sex in the Bible has never had a balanced presentation. In the grand battle of Leviticus versus Song of Songs, both sides have merit and value. The biblical message on sex is to express love in a way that is responsible and accountable.

When we profess our faith, when we gather in community, when we pray, or feast or make love, we are living into the truth of what the Bible is about: God’s holy word of life and love revealed to humanity, through humanity. We are not the Christ who stood up in the Temple and proclaimed the fulfillment of scripture. But we are seekers of his message and truth, we can stand up and proclaim our belief in him. In this, we are not alone. Thanks be to God. Amen.