You Must Not Commit Adultery

Matthew 5:27-30

²⁷ “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ ²⁸ But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹ So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, 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 hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, 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 be thrown into hell. Matthew 5:27-30

There’s a 90s country song called “3rd Rock From the Sun,” by the late Joe Diffie. If you know it, then you are hearing it in your head, but if you don’t let me tell you the plot of the song. (One of the great things about some songs is that they tell a story. One of the great things about 90s country songs is that they tell a ridiculous story. This is a ridiculous story.)

1. A woman walks into Smokey’s “one hip at a time.”

2. Man notices and calls her wife, “I’ll be working late tonight.”

3. The wife cries and calls her sister, “Get over here.”

4. Sister goes to be with her sister, so her boyfriend goes to get a beer.

5. He leaves the car running and some teenagers steal it.

6. Teenagers drive erratically, jump a curb and “hits a big boy in the Shoney’s parking lot.” (Uneqiveacally a line that could only be in a country song)

7. Also, they take out the bank clock and hit a transformer causing the town to go dark.

8. People panic, and eventually, a call goes to the mayor from the other cops, who say they can’t find the chief.

9. “Mayor says, “Use your head if he ain’t in his car. He’s hiding from his wife, down at Smokey’s bar.”

And I can’t help but think that if the Sherrif had obeyed Jesus' teaching on lust this whole fiasco would have been avoided. I’m only partly joking, and Jesus though in this section of the Sermon is using hyperbole. We certainly have not taken this scripture literally, but we do need to take it seriously.

Jesus is clear about raising the standards of sexual ethics. It’s not just about one’s actions. It’s also about one’s intentions. Because your intentions, your thoughts, and your desires lead somewhere. For the song, it was a power outage that impacted the whole town and panic in the streets. For others, it is an affair or being unavailable (physically, mentally, emotionally) to your spouse.

I remember when we were in seminary, Marilyn Elliot who served as a marriage and family pastor to the Asbury community said something like this at a marriage retreat. “Nobody just says one yes and has an affair. An affair only results after a hundred little yeses.” Jesus wants to stop the issue before it becomes an issue.

It reminds me of a quote by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, “There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.” This is exactly what Jesus wants us to do with lust.

Opportunities to lust are infinitely available in our world today, so we need to help each other along the way. I know from my own story that I cannot do it alone, I need people to be honest with and share temptations before they start. If you or someone you know needs someone to talk to, reach out to me.

Love,
Aaron

P.S. This is Red Letters to A Weary Soul, as I take a slow look at the Words of Jesus together. This is one of the regular features that the paid subscribers receive. If you are interested in receiving this and my monthly “What I’m Learning” post, then subscribe fully.