Lustful Intent
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17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
Blessings (that turn the wisdom of world upside down).
yorktown //
You are Salt.
You are light.
point of which is pointing to God’s glory.
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Do not murder (said… interesting, not “written.”) Specifically addressing the teaching of the law; not the law itself.
Start/seed/spark of that is anger; which liable to judgement...
xxxMoses example.xxx
Point is reconciliation.
Jesus demonstrates the contrast between a true and full righteousness based on the "spirit" of the law, and a superficial righteousness based on the mere "letter" of the law.
Next Jesus focuses on the 7th commandment. Again, “heard it said.” Implies that what they have heard strays from the intent and Jesus gives it the fulness it lacks.
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
Literal Meaning taught: taking those words at face value, strictly in terms of the letter of the law, the scribes and Pharisees were able to say, "I've never committed 'adultery'; therefore, I am innocent." Their hearts, however, were anything but pure. (rom 2:28 - not outwardly, but inwardly)
28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Again, Jesus speaks with the authority of the Author. I say to you.
And with his words of fulfillment, he targets the motives behind the act.
and here now is that word. epithyméō
earnest desire / lustful intent / to crave.
15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.
Luke 22:15
6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.
(evil desire) active… led to idolatry...
Sense is pretty strong.
Christians aren’t being told here that we need to fit ourselves with blinders. Noticing someone is not the same as lusting after them; appreciating someone is not the same as lusting after them.
“look with lustful intent” ; desire.
And I’ll also point out here that we aren’t all just single-minded simpletons. There are lots of reasons that one might desire another person. It’s not all beauty and sex. We kind of infer that from the text, but the word translated here as lustful intent is specifically a-sexual in nature: intellect, skill, talent, kindness, Godly countenance…for whatever reason, Those who “earnestly desire” or “lust” have “set their heart upon” someone other than their covenant spouse, and have committed adultery.
Jesus zooms us out of the letter-of-the-law interpretation concerning this seventh commandment from God...
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9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,
and reminds us that because God is a covenant-keeping God, we, who are the citizens of his Kingdom according to Matthew, the light-bearers for His Glory according to Jesus, his children according to Hebrews, the temple of his holy spirit according to Paul - we are to be a covenant-keeping people. A holy people.
[don’t read]
17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, 18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.
Deuteronomy
-19
A marriage is meant as a gift of relationship to reflect the love, kindness and patience of our covenant-keeping God.
A marriage is meant as a gift to reflect the love and longsuffering of our covenant-keeping God.
And so we
God often referred to his covenant with Israel as a marriage, and we know that Israel often lusted after the things they saw outside of their marriage. And God called them out for their adulterous ways.
And so just as we saw last week in looking at murder, anger, and reconciliation, we see now that the essence of adultery and lust, is broken relationships, seeking the reconciliation and restoration that only God can bring.
So we notice someone,
Fairly dramatically illustrated:
It is just at this point that God, full of mercy and compassion for us, intervenes, to direct us in relationship-building that reflects His Glory.
14 “Yet you say, ‘For what reason?’ Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.
Those who deal treacherously with their spouse are guilty of breaking a covenant relationship. This is "adultery."
All this helps to uderstand what Jesus meant a bit earlier, back in:
20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
and also in
3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.
Back to practice.
Matthew 5:29-30
29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
Obviously this is figurative language. To pluck out one’s eye or to cut off one’s hand, this would not remove one’s lustful desire. Jesus is telling His disciples in the strongest possible language to remove every occasion for this sin.
What we’ve seen in scripture last week and this week make is so very important to know that we have a savior; Jesus who shows us the fullness and perfection of the law, also shows us the fulness of God’s love for us, in that he took on the punishment of our judgement for us. He stood in our place and died our death so that in him we will live, just as he does now, having overcome death. That means that death is no longer the end for those who believe and who love the Lord and who purpose themselves to his service. For them, God works all things toward Good.