Jesus has been teaching the crowds and the disciples about a better interpretation of the law. That interpretation is based on understanding what the law says about God, and then reflecting that truth in how we as God’s children should act. He had noted that, “…it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’” His long explanation of what that really means is that we should not have any unrighteous anger in our lives – not enough to kill – and not enough to slander, either. In fact, Jesus says that we should not even enough unrighteous anger to so much as make a flippant unkind comment. That is because God does not harbor unrighteous anger, and so God does not murder. God does not kill anybody or anything unrighteously. God is holy.
Certainly we can understand that a holy person would never make a binding commitment to one person and then ignore that commitment when faced with a different person. Even in our sin-stained culture we understand that as a blatant lack of integrity. God calls it what it is – adultery. For this reason He told His people, “You shall not commit adultery.” That is the 7th commandment, following on the heels of the 6th commandment, “You shall not murder.” As He did with the 6th, Jesus now fleshes out the 7th commandment; “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Jesus is saying that while everyone knows that adultery is wrong, the thoughts that lead to adultery are just as wrong. Effectively, He is using the 10th commandment (“You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife,”) to interpret the 7th commandment (“You shall not commit adultery.)”
God calls coveting a sin. Coveting is thirsting after something – it is unrighteous jealousy. “To covet is to desire inordinately, to place the object of desire before love and devotion to God.” Likewise, to look lustfully is to place the object of your desire before not only your love for your fellow human being, but before your love and devotion to God. To do that for even a few moments is to shred the wholeness of your love for God – and that is the very definition of un-holiness!
Jesus is making it clear that we need to understand the Scripture as revealing God in His wholeness. As God’s people we need to subsequently act according to that revelation. If we do that we will never get to murder, for we would never allow unrighteous anger to take root, and we will never get to adultery, for we would never allow unrighteous affection to take root either. In fact, if we followed that hermeneutic and wholeheartedly avoided all that Scripture plainly reveals God is not about, and wholehearted embraced everything that Scripture plainly reveals He is about, we would be rather a lot like Christ.
To look at another is no sin. But to lingeringly look while thinking an unclean thought obviously is. That is because the line between looking and lusting is a very thin line indeed. Yet there is a line, and it is the line between holiness and unholiness.
Surely we all know that no words need to be said and no physical action needs to be taken for sin to enter our hearts. Eve was already sinning when she agreed with Satan to put the fruit to her lips, and Adam was already in need of repentance when he agreed to join her in doing likewise. The seed of desire needs only to be fertilized by our own unrighteousness to produce sin. For this reason the Word says, “After desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
Only when desire “conceives”—is allowed to produce offspring—does sin come into being.
Douglas J. Moo
APPLICATION: Intentionality
Take some time to examine your heart. Ask the Lord to reveal any unclean desires. Crucify any that come to mind.