Celibacy

Matthew 19:11 - "Not everyone can receive these words; only those to whom they have been given."

Marriage was a stabilizing force in society. M, marriage marked one as respectable, an adult in many ways. Marriage and having children were the only life goal of most of Roman society. It was assumed people, especially rich people, would marry and have children. For the poorer people, children were necessary as help with whatever the family business was. For the rich, it meant an heir and one's legacy being passed on. Having children was seen as a way to keep wandering young men in check, not to mention young women. Who were seen as property, as I have mentioned.

In short, marriage was an important social tool. It was the respectable path for all in society who could possibly manage it. Yet, here is Jesus saying, "God does not call everyone to marriage." In doing so, he is again radicalizing the everyday life of his disciples. He is blowing their minds. Yet they are still speaking about two different things: the disciples comment was selfish and self-serving, Jesus comment was about God's call on our lives. Jesus uses their self-serving comment to make a point about who God is and what God might think about our society. God's thoughts are not our thoughts; and if they are, double check to make sure they have the same motive underpinning them.

So, here is where, probably for the first time ever, I have compassion for the disciples. Jesus comes along, calls them away from their everyday lives. Those lives that society has laid out for them and continually shows how hollow those lives were. And the disciples are depicted as slow-witted, hard-hearted, and "stiff-necked." But really, they're maybe just trying to find some solid ground in all this. It is very hard for us to really imagine how radical and subversive Jesus was for the time. And the disciples can't keep up.

But, let's take an analogous example: Trump supporters. Their world is changing way faster than that of the disciples and they feel like its being stolen by all the other people: black people, Jewish people, Muslims, Mexicans, people here without documentation, lbgtq people and women are now listened to and have more voice in society than ever - not enough but that's a topic for another day. This makes Trump supporters uncomfortable - they're no longer living in their cocoon of whiteness. They hear other languages being spoken - if not where they live, then when they travel. Fox News tells them to be afraid, and they are. They are losing their ground, just like the disciples. And like the disciples, they grab at anything that promises to bring it back. 

Change is hard; we humans don't like it one bit. Since the disciples are stand-ins for us, how are we trying to grab that safety and security of comfort. Jesus did not call us to be comfortable. How are we handling the changes our world is bringing? Are we blaming our fear on others, or are we going out and making peace with those who are afraid? Where are we holding on to our narrative and where are we accepting reality?
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