Matthew 5 - Jesus Redefines Adultery!

Link to Matthew 5

Adultery

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’[e]28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

In chapter 5, we read Jesus' famous sermon on the Mount.  In this message Jesus redefines the way the people looked at the Old Testament law that was given to Moses in the wilderness.  Most importantly Jesus says, "I did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it." 5:17 The Law is good because it was given by God to the Jewish people to set them apart from the nations/Gentiles.  It was meant to show the people why Israel's God was the true God by the way the Isrealites treated each other and put God first.  

In the sermon of the mount, Jesus goes from a literal intepretation of the Law to the teaching the true spirit of the Law.  Jesus saw that the Jews, and in particular the Jewish leaders, adhered to the letter of law but missed its true meaning.  And in this passage, he teaches on the issue of adultery.  Throughout this chapter you will hear Jesus teach, "You have heard it said". Jesus is acknowledging the previous teaching of the Law but then he says, "But I say to you!"  

In the case of adultery, Jesus says it is not just the physical act of adultery that is wrong, but also mental adultery where a man lusts after a woman with the intent to have sexual relations with her.  In this culture it applied to men in particular, but in our culture it could apply to both male or females.  Jesus is getting at the deeper issue of the heart. If someone is consistently lusting after another person, they are not honoring their spouse.  Although the consequences are different than literal and physical adultery, sin is sin.  

Now you might think wow this is harsh. After all, most people lust after others it is part of our human condition and fallen nature.  Then, Jesus goes even further to say, "If you eye causes you to sin gouge it out."  Do you think Jesus is literally saying to do this?  I would say definitely not. This is where a literal interpretation of the bible falls apart.  He is using a teaching technique called "hyperbole", where a teacher would make an extreme point to point out a deeper truth.  Jesus is saying if your heart is dominated by lust after other people who are not your spouse, do everything you can to root that behavior from your life. This is an inner life soulful and spiritual issue relating to one's heart condition and how they relate to others.

As we look at the Sermon on the Mount the next couple of days, we will see the high ethical standards Jesus sets for his followers. And in the rest of the bible, we know that though we strive to live according to these standards, we all fall woefully short.  Jesus was the only one to perfectly fulfill the law in all he did and said. Since Jesus perfectly fulfilled the law by his fulfilling the righteous requirements of the law, we are also set free to obey the spirit of the law.  Why?  Because it is a heart issue. And when Jesus gets a hold of your heart you start to be the person he created you to be in all areas of life including your thought life!