--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Matthew 5:27- 37 What parts of our lives do we still cling to, even though they lead us to sin? That’s what Jesus is asking us to discover now. In verse 27, we see a widely accepted definition of sin: commiting an unloving deed (such as adultery). But many people stop there; they assume that it is a sin only when the deed is actually committed. However, Jesus is challenging us to look beyond the deed. It’s what’s in our heart that counts. If, to use Jesus’ example in verse 28, we wish we could have an affair, we are sinning. Why? The heart is where love dwells, and if thoughts of adultery dwell there, too, love is pushed out. When we forsake the spouse by turning to another for sexual intimacy, we are being unloving toward the spouse. So too, if we only dream of turning to another. It is still unloving toward our spouse. Verses 29 and 30 extend the teaching to include every area of our lives that is lacking the expression of love. Perhaps our eyes cause us to sin because we enjoy watching movies with sex or violence or other unloving actions. If so, we also commit sin with our hands by picking up the movie from the video store shelf. Perhaps our sin comes from the part of us that expects perfection from others because perfection was expected from us while we grew up. Is it okay to excuse our behavior because it’s so ingrained is us? Or is it better to identify and overcome our childhood training? What about the habits and addictions that are hard to break? Do we excuse them, or do we overcome them to make more room for love? There are many areas of our lives that need to be “cut out and thrown away.” In verses 31 and 32, Jesus makes an even higher point using adultery. Since a valid marriage is a commitment, and breaking commitments is unloving, then divorce is a sin. Making promises (verses 33-37) is another form of...
