let's consider following code:

    class ArrayList<T> {}

    interface MyInterface {
        <U> ArrayList<U> abstractMethod(Test53 tester);
    }

    public class Test53 {
        ArrayList<?> methodBeingReferenced() {
            ArrayList<?> result = new ArrayList<>();
            return result;
        }
        public static void main(String argv[]) {
            consumeMethodReference(Test53::methodBeingReferenced);
        }
        static <T> ArrayList<T> consumeMethodReference(MyInterface sam) { return sam.abstractMethod(new Test53()); }
    }

on JDK9b40 it causes following compilation errors:

    D:\langworks\smalltests2\src\Test53.java:13: error: method consumeMethodReference in class Test53 cannot be applied to given types;
            consumeMethodReference(Test53::methodBeingReferenced);
            ^
      required: MyInterface
      found: Test53::me[...]enced
      reason: cannot infer type-variable(s) T
        (argument mismatch; bad return type in method reference
          ArrayList<?> cannot be converted to ArrayList<U>)
      where T,U are type-variables:
        T extends Object declared in method <T>consumeMethodReference(MyInterface)
        U extends Object declared in method <U>abstractMethod(Test53)
    D:\langworks\smalltests2\src\Test53.java:13: error: invalid method reference
            consumeMethodReference(Test53::methodBeingReferenced);
                                   ^
      non-static method methodBeingReferenced() cannot be referenced from a static context
    2 errors

I believe the second error: "non-static method methodBeingReferenced() cannot be referenced from a static context" is not relevant and the fact that this message is printed here is a javac bug.