Series: On my way to love Pt. 2
June 9, 2022
Love is a verb…
June 10, 2022
Jesus challenges disciples to go beyond the physical act.
Matthew 5: 27 – 32
Jesus speaks to the commandment concerning adultery. The seventh commandment says: “Thou shall not commit adultery”. Adultery is a sexual act committed between two people at least one of whom is married to someone else. Adultery is an act. We can, therefore, presume once the act is not done there is no offense. But that is not the case here.
Jesus also speaks of lust. He says if a man looks lustfully at a woman he has already committed adultery in his heart. Lust is not a physical act. So where is the wrong?
As he usually does, Jesus challenges disciples to go beyond the physical act. Lust may not be a physical violation, but it is a violation nonetheless. Lust is a violation of the spirit of the commandment. It means what happens inside us is just as important as the outer physical acts we do.
In both cases the sacredness of the commandment, the violation of human dignity and the disrespect to legitimate human relationships are at stake.
Photo by THÁI NHÀN
