Gospel Commentary: Society Reaches New Low

By Fr. John De Celles
Herald Columnist
(From the issue of 8/28/03)

Everyday we are bombarded by strange notions of sexuality — whether it’s pornography on the internet, or newspaper adds selling toothpaste with sex. If you didn’t know better you would think that lust is the common thread that holds our society together.

In the last few months this has all reached a new low, as the media reports on the new "normalcy" of homosexuality. Amazingly, some of this is coming from so-called mainstream Christian denominations. Particularly shocking are statements like: ""If homosexuality is so wrong, why did Jesus Himself never say anything about it?" Or, "Jesus was welcoming to everyone, why isn’t the Church?"

Unfortunately, these people have accepted a notion of human sexuality that is based either on ludicrous psuedo-scientific theories or on warped interpretations of Scripture. In doing this they are, as Jesus says, "teaching as doctrines human precepts"; they "disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition." For as today’s Gospel text, Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23, shows us, these kinds of statements run directly contrary to the personal teaching of Jesus Himself.

In this text Jesus gives a list of various serious sins—"evils" that "defile" man. On this list He includes not only sins like "murder" but also the evils of "unchastity" "adultery" and "licentiousness." What exactly are these sins?

First, the word "adultery" is a translation of the Greek term moixeiai, which is the word that specifically refers to a sexual act between a married person and someone who is not his or her spouse. The word "unchasity," on the other hand, is a translation of porneiai, a more general term which means any sexual activity which is forbidden under the Law of Moses, which would include fornication, homosexuality, incest, prostitution and voyeurism (e.g., pornography). Finally, the word "licentiousness" is a translation of the Greek term aselgeia, which means unbridled lust or lasciviousness. Taking all this together, we see that Jesus clearly rejects any form of sexual expression which is not in the context of a loving and chaste marriage between a male and female.

Still, many people, even many Christians, reject this teaching. Some say it’s only natural for people to act on their sexual impulses — whatever they are. Others say that the sensual temptations around us are too much to resist. But human beings are not animals controlled by instinct or by passions. If a man is angered by the actions of another, he is not free to act on that "natural" anger and injure the other. Unless a person is mentally ill, his reason must control his understanding of his external surroundings and his internal passions.

Which is what Jesus means when He says: "Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile." Jesus makes it clear that neither anyone or anything, in the world around us or inside of us can force us to sin. Sin involves choice, a choice we make for ourselves "from within," in our own "hearts."

Christians must ignore all these bizarre secular notions of sexuality and follow the teachings of Christ. If we don’t, then we join the Pharisees and scribes who taunted Jesus, of whom He said: "This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me."

Fr. De Celles is parochial vicar at St. Michael Parish in Annandale.

Copyright ©2003 Arlington Catholic Herald.  All rights reserved.