Did Jesus ever meet a homosexual? This is a question that has been raised while discussing the Biblical view of homosexuality. The Gospels cover many areas of sin which were confronted by Jesus. Adulterers, dishonest tax collectors, prostitutes, and hypocrites are only a few of the people Jesus dealt with on the streets of the cities He traveled.
All types of sexual immorality are well-covered in the law of Moses, so the question arises that if homosexuality, bestiality, and incest are also presented as capital offenses by Moses (Lev. 18:6- 22, 20:11-20), why did Jesus not mention these or teach on them during His earthly ministry as well? I have heard it said in this manner, “Surely these sins were present in Jesus' day, as they were in Moses' day and as they are in ours, but the writers of the Gospels were apparently not led by the Holy Spirit to mention them in our Lord's daily life. In fact, we are never even told that Jesus met a homosexual.” Did Jesus ever meet a homosexual? I believe that this is a question worthy of your examination.
Before we look at the teachings of Jesus in the gospels, we need to establish that the New Testament clearly teaches that homosexuality is a sin. Paul presents the downward progression of sin in those who reject the gospel in Romans, chapter one, where the full ramifications of heathenism are described.
Homosexuality is the result of a decision to reject God and His Word:
For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error (Rom. 1:26 - 27).
A key word in the New Testament vocabulary is the word "uncleanness" or “impurity.” Uncleanness is attached to sins of moral or sexual impurity in the New Testament.
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity (KJV – “uncleanness’), sensuality, . . . (Galatians 5:19).
But immorality or any impurity (KJV – “uncleanness”) or greed must not be named among you, as is proper among saints; . . . For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure (KJV – “unclean”) person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God (Ephes. 5:3,5).
Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity (KJV – “uncleanness”), passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry (Col. 3: 5).
The Greek word for "uncleanness" is akathartos. It means "impure in thought and action." We find in each of the Scriptures just quoted that the word is attached to sins of sexual perversion. This would include homosexuality, lesbianism, incest, child molestation, rape, bestiality, and sadomasochism. This list could go on, but I believe you see the ramifications and far-reaching extent of "uncleanness."
The problem with lesbianism, homosexuality, or other types of sexual perversion is not just the actions, but the thoughts which guide the actions. Sexual and moral impurity begins in our thoughts long before it ever manifests as evil deeds. If Satan can gain the thoughts, he can possess the life (Prov. 23:7).
The sinner or carnal Christian who is taken by sins of uncleanness has allowed the morals and lusts of this world to control their thinking. Through magazines, movies, and television, the god of this world has put out his “gospel” of sexual perversion.
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord... (Isa. 55:7). The New Testament gives titles of many types of demons: evil spirits (Luke 7:21, Acts 19:12), foul spirits (Mark 9:25, Rev.18:2), wicked spirits (Ephes. 6:12), dumb spirits (Mark 9:17), spirits of infirmity (Luke 13:11), spirits of divination (Acts 16:16), and seducing spirits (I Tim. 4:1). But the most common demon Jesus encountered was the unclean spirit (Mark 1:27, 3:11, Luke 4:3, 6:18, 9:42, etc.). These were spirits of homosexuality, lesbianism, and other types of sexual perversion. Did Jesus ever meet a homosexual? Of course He did! He also met lesbians, transvestites, those committing incest, and those who sexually abused children.
The time in which Jesus lived was no different than that of Moses' time or ours today. There are no new sins. The problems never change—but neither does the answer. Jesus has always been mankind's Deliverer, and deliverance from sexual sins has been at the top of the list in every generation.