Saturday 8 February 2025
"But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (v. 28)
Background
One of the 10 Commandments is not to commit adultery. Many of us can hold up our hands and say we have kept this command. Jesus takes it further, referencing another of the commandments, "Do not covet your neighbour's wife". (Exodus 20:17)
The word 'covet' can be translated as lust, and when we read lust, we often think of sexual desire, and the context of adultery here strengthens that link. This has led many to believe any acknowledgement of beauty in another person is sinful. Sinning in this way should then lead to us gouging out our eyes or chopping off our hands. We may read this and wonder why there aren’t more blind people wandering around if we were to take Jesus' words literally.
If we look at the word 'covet' used in the commandment we can see that this is more than just a desire or thought in our head. Here 'coveting' is a conscious decision to act on a desire and give life to the impulse. We covet our neighbour's donkey, wife or servant because we desire to own them ourselves. If we allow that desire to grow we may end up acting upon it.
If we come back to the Sermon on the Mount we can begin to see that Jesus here is not so much reinterpreting the commandment as strengthening the link between coveting someone and committing adultery. You shall not commit adultery and coveting your neighbour's wife is the beginning of the journey to breaking that command.
When it comes to the punishment for coveting things or people, we should understand this as hyperbole. Jesus is using extreme examples to make a point. As people seeking to follow Jesus we need to take responsibility for our actions. We don’t need to chop off our hands, but we do need to recognise when we are the ones deciding to go our own way.
To Ponder:
- How does Jesus’ teaching about coveting and adultery encourage you to reflect not just on your actions, but on the desires and thoughts that lead to them?
- What practical steps can you take to guard against allowing unhealthy desires or thoughts to grow and influence your decisions?
- How does understanding Jesus’ use of hyperbole in this passage challenge or shape the way you respond to his teachings about sin and responsibility?
Bible notes author: The Revd David Wynd
David Wynd is a Methodist minister serving in Cullercoats, in North Tyneside.