Jesus’ Teaching on Adultery

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.  But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away.  For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.  For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.” –Matthew 5:27-30 (ESV).

When Jesus begins a subject for consideration with the words ‘you have heard that it was said’ as an introduction, He is discoursing about the common misinterpretations of Old Testament Law held by religious teachers of His day.  He is not correcting the Old Testament Law (he came to fulfill—to make clearer and fuller the law), but rather to clarify misconceptions about it.  Adultery was considered an extremely serious offense.  It was the seventh of the ten commandments: “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14).  In Malachi 2:13-16 the prophet gives a strong teaching against divorce and why God is not pleased with sacrifices brought to the altar by those who have taken their marriage vows lightly.  He admonishes in verse 15:  “Did He (God) not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union?  And what was the one God seeking?  Godly offspring.  So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.”The earthly marriage relationship is like the covenant between God and the individual.  It should be held in honor and deepest respect. Lust begins in the heart, the center of one’s identity and will.  It is not enough to maintain physical purity alone, but the Christian must guard mentally against acts of lust and unfaithfulness.  Jesus is not adding to the Old Testament law here but rather is interpreting it correctly.  Even in the Ten Commandments, God had required purity of heart (“Thou shalt not covet,” [Exodus 20:17] God said, and within that commandment he includes “your neighbor’s wife” as forbidden to lustful, covetous thoughts.

Jesus uses deliberate overstatement to emphasize the importance of refraining from lust.  In using “Pluck out the right eye”   “cut off the right hand,” Jesus is using a commonly stated metaphor to illustrate how important his teaching on marriage is.  The “right” eye and hand were considered to be the more powerful of the two.  Lust begins by seeing; and with the hand the act of unfaithfulness is perpetrated.  By using these commonly expressed figures of speech (overstatement), Jesus is emphasizing the importance of faithfulness in the marriage relationship. 

How do we gain victory over lustful looks that lead to the act of unfaithfulness?  Jesus is talking about Christian discipline here.  The eye and the hand are usually the culprits when it comes to sexual sins.  The lustful look, when followed, can lead to fulfillment of lustful desires.  This is what Jesus is saying to “cut off.”  Stop it in mid-track.  Not the physical surgery of plucking out the eye or cutting off the hand, but spiritual surgery that will stop the thought and thus prevent the action of a sinful relationship.  The sins of the body can lead to eternal judgment.  Paul also warned us about the dangers of pursuing such thoughts and actions:  “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you:  sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and covetousness, which is idolatry.  On account of these the wrath of God is coming” (Colossians 3:5-6).

Beware of Covetousness

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house: you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.” -Exodus 20:17 (ESV). “And He said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” –Luke 12:15. (ESV) “But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.” –I Corinthians 12:31 (ESV).

Covetousness arises out of a desire to possess more than we have; it is to long for, to reach after things. To covet was so much a part of human nature that God gave the last of the Ten Commandments to deal with the inordinate desire of wanting that which is not one’s own, whether it be to lust after one who is not legally linked in marriage, to desire possessions, or anything (an all-inclusive term for every thing not one’s own that persons might want). Scholars view the tenth commandment as reaching very deep into our nature because it deals with thought. Covetousness—wanting what is not rightly ours—is inward, heart-felt. Human laws cannot take cognizance of what goes on in the heart. It is true that oftentimes murder (the “thou shalt not kill” commandment) is ruled premeditated, beginning first in the heart. But covetousness is definitely “of the heart” and can motivate persons to commit murder or adultery or stealing.

The context of Jesus’ teaching about covetousness in Luke 12:15 followed after one from the crowd said, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” (Luke 12:14). How many of us have seen covetousness demonstrated following the reading of a will? So often, heirs think they do not get their rightful share, and ill-will, animosity and greediness result. Jesus followed His answer by giving the parable of the rich man whose land yielded plentifully. He built more granaries in which to store his crops and thought he could “eat, drink and be merry.” But God came to the greedy man, telling him that very night his soul would be required of hm. “And then whose will those things be which you have provided? So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”” (Luke 12:20-21). Jesus was firmly teaching that one’s life does not consist of an abundance of possessions. There is a better way than always wanting more for selfish purposes. But earnestly desire the best gifts,” Paul urges, “abd I will show you a more excellent way.” (I Corinthians 12:31). Then he goes immediately into that fine discourse on love recorded in I Corinthians 13. Love is the more excellent way. When genuine love for the Lord is in our heart, there is no room for the dark secrets of covetousness and inordinate desire for that which we should not have. In Luke 12:15, Jesus said that the covetous person will not “be rich toward God.” In Ephesians 5:5 Paul says they who covet are like the idol worshipers, virtually denying faith in God and replacing the love for God on things. How serious an offense to our loving God to covet. It is indeed understandable that He would make one of the Commandments: “Thou shalt not covet."