A gay Charlotte, North Carolina waitress was dismayed this week when a woman customer scribbled Leviticus 20:13 on the ticket where the tip should be. At the bottom of the ticket the woman wrote, “Praying for you.” The customer’s actions were, to me, hypocritical, mean and judgmental.
The Old Testament verse declares, “If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.”
First, the verse is part of the law, which God’s people lived under in the Old Testament.
But because of Jesus Christ neither the waitress nor her customer live under the law any more. We live under grace.
Second, God lavishes his love and mercy on that gay waitress just as much as He does the woman customer who stiffed the waitress.
Third, the customer’s sin was no worse than the sin she implied the waitress was committing by her lifestyle. That customer was not witnessing. She was not encouraging. She was not accepting. She was judging. That was no way to treat a gay waitress. Several verses come to mind for the customer (and for anyone who would judge another’s life or lifestyle):
Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. Matthew 7:1-5
Here’s another verse I believe the customer (and all of us) could benefit from remembering:
“Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:32.
We don’t have to embrace the gay lifestyle, or those whose beliefs or religious convictions are different from ours; but Christ commands us that we must embrace them. To love them with the same love Christ loves us.
God is the one and only true Judge.
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This is vile and symptomatic of a religion that has lost touch with itself.
Any religion that allows for the condemnation of other is misplaced.
If God is love and love is God, then we as human who all hold a small piece of love are all made in the image of God – in this small timeless, beautiful way.
This poor waitress was subjected to passive aggressive, judgemental hate that focuses not on her love (as is directed in the Bible) but instead on a facet of her being that is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.
If heaven exists.. What will be the first question you get asked at the gates;
1) how many of your neighbours did you love?
2) how many gay people did you try and change?
A catholic upbringing almost led me to suicide, as a gay man who is has now found profound faith in love, I have to ask you to PLEASE leave my people alone.
We don’t need you prayers and guess what?
We’ll turn the other cheek too. Because we live only in love and we do not judge you for your hate.
(Sorry to go in a rant there but this really is important to me)
Thanks for sharing this thought,
Eli
Eli, thank you for your thought-provoking comment about the post about the gay waitress. I appreciate your input. In fact, I’m publishing a follow up post to your comment. Thank you for reading and bless you for your comments.
Many thanks for the kind words. Whether we concur or indeed your response is a rebuttal to my thoughts, I appreciate you taking the time the read.
Open dialogue is so important on these matters.
Please don’t be a stranger.
Oh and.. Do let me know about the follow up post. I’ll be interested to read.
Will do.
Eli, again, thanks for your comments. They will appear in my post on For His Glory tomorrow.
Oh great! Can’t wait to read.
The issue here is pearls before swine. Paul is clear that we are not to judge those outside the church, God will do that. We are to preach the gospel. That God loves you and he sent his son Jesus Christ into the world to save you from your sins. When a brother is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore one gently. A saved person will hear truth, not be a mocker and will move to repentance. A lost person will “think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they will heap abuse on you.” But they will have to give an account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
So true. So true. Thank you for your thoughtful response.
While what she said or did was share truth, it did not appear to have been done with love. Whenever we share or speak the truth, it is to be done in love, not in condemnation. Not tipping was bad enough, but to put the Bible verse on the line where the tip is to be, is just plain mean. The customer should be ashamed of herself, I am.
Yes it is easy for us to judge others. However do we have blind spots we should review from time to time? May the Lord help us to show and live in His love. Thank you for your comments, Scott. Blessings to you.
As believers we should not condemn.
However, we have a duty to advise in love what the Word of God says of what God abhors.
Let us be available to show God’s love in word and deed and so help one more turn to a life that pleases the Lord.
Very well said.