Teaching about Adultery and Divorce

Today's Reflections 

      

 

Teaching about Adultery and Divorce

Mt 5:27-32

[Jesus said to his disciples,] ²⁷“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ²⁸But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. ³⁰And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.

³¹“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.’ ³²But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

LUST. Webster defines adultery as the “voluntary sexual intercourse between a married man and someone other than his wife or between a married woman and someone other than her husband.” In the Bible, adultery has a precise and limited definition: sexual relations between a married (or betrothed) woman and any man other than her husband. Adultery is committed only against a husband, not against a wife. A most grievous transgression, it is punishable by death for both parties (cf Dt 22:22-24). At the time of Jesus, the Romans removed the power from the Jews to put someone to death (cf Jn 18:31).

Jesus goes to the root of adultery, which is lust. One need not reach the act of sexual intercourse in committing adultery. While lusting after another person is not a criminal offense in society, it already affects one’s heart, mind, and soul. If unchecked, this will lead to adultery.

Jesus also extends the scope of the commandment. A husband is now held responsible for committing adultery against his wife, not only in sexual acts but also in lustful looks. Jesus exhorts his followers to avoid lust, an intense sexual desire, as root of adultery.

Self-expression is good; self-control is better.

Does your self-expression go beyond

modesty and propriety?

How do you practice self-control

with regard to sexual matters?