Day 4
Warren Weirsbe writes: The “look” that Jesus
mentioned was not a casual glance, but a
constant stare with the purpose of lusting. It is
possible for a man to glance at a beautiful woman
and know that she is beautiful, but not lust or
"gaze" (in Job 31:1) after her. The man Jesus
described looked at the woman for the purpose of
feeding his inner sensual appetites as a substitute
for the act (James 1:14, 15). It was not accidental;
it was planned (Ro 13:14). Do you protect your
eyes or do you allow yourself to be in places
where temptation lurks? Are there places you
should avoid? Are there struggles/sins you should
confess?
Read Proverbs 5-7
Jesus points out the dangers of discontent in
this passage, but he also speaks against the other
side of the coin. The “feeding” of discontent
causes the roving eye, and acting on the desire to
look away from our commitments. Today, be
aware of the danger signals in your life.
Understand your vulnerability, and do not “feed”
the impulse to pursue a wrong course of action.
In verses 27-30, obviously Jesus is not
suggesting literal surgery, for the real problem is
in the heart. (v. 28). This is a vivid reminder that
sin is terrible, and we are better off maimed, than
whole and going to hell.
Day 5 Volume 2 Number 11
Arthur Pink applies our Christ’s teaching to
temptresses as well as "temptees"...
Engaged
If lustful looking is so grievous a sin, then March 13-19
those who dress and expose themselves
with the desire to be looked at and lusted
after … are not less but perhaps more
guilty. In this matter it is not only too often
the case that men sin but women tempt
them to do so. How great then must be the
guilt of the great majority of modern misses
who deliberately seek to arouse the sexual
passions of young men. And how much
greater still is the guilt of most of their
mothers for allowing them to become
lascivious temptresses.
Strong words: Stronger still are the words of
our Lord, when He says, “If your right eye
offends you pluck it out, … If your right hand
offends you, cut it off.” I think what Jesus is
saying is go to any measure to prevent sexual
Matthew 5:27
sin from condemning you to Hell. What "You have heard that it was said to those
decisions could you make that would cause of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.
victory in battling sexual temptation? But I say to you that whoever looks at a
woman to lust for her has already
committed adultery with her in his heart.”
The heart’s desire is what God is interested
in. This does not mean the action
commandments are not to be obeyed. It means
obedience must go beyond the actions, or
refraining from other actions. Where is your
heart? Are you being pulled (kicking and through
screaming) in the path of obedience, or are you
pursuing God eagerly, not looking to the
allurements on the side paths? This is the essence
of what God says to us in the sermon on the
mount. You can cheat without ever leaving
home, and you can be faithful no matter the
temptation. What does your heart desire?
You know the commandment pretty well,
too: Your heart can be corrupted by lust even
quicker than your body. Those leering looks you
think nobody notices - they also are corrupt.
(The Message)
Day 1
“It was said” is different than the phrase "it is
written", which is more often used to
introduce Scripture. This supports the
conclusion that Jesus is referring to what the
religious leaders had said. In some cases such
as in verse 27, their quotations were accurate
but in others, they were not (eg, Mt 5:43). In
all cases their exposition was either perverted,
truncated, or taken out of context and left
much to be desired. Their interpretation often
supported their own desires. Jesus gives a full
exposition correcting the errant teaching the
people had heard. As with all good teachers,
Jesus knew that Truth was critical; for what a
person believes will determine how they
behave. If they believed inaccurate exposition
of the Law, they would live in a manner not
pleasing to God. Are there examples today of
this in your life? Are there things you believe,
simply because it suits your life, rather than
being founded upon Scripture? Ask God to
reveal any of these things to you.
Are you faithful to your spouse? Even if
you are not yet married, you can begin to ask
yourself this question, because faithfulness is
a lifelong commitment, and begins before
marriage, and even before you meet “the
one”. Faithfulness stems from a commitment
to Christ and His commands, not from your
situation. Begin today to practice faithfulness.
Adultery is a voluntary act between a
married man and someone other than his wife
or between a married woman and someone
other than her husband. Adultery is also
defined as cheating, infidelity, misconduct,
two-timing and unfaithfulness. Take time to
explain the true Biblical love between a man
and a woman.
Day 2
Jesus is making the point that just because a man
had never committed the physical act of adultery,
he was still guilty if he fulfilled the criteria in the
next verse. A Jewish man might be quite proud
that he had never broken this commandment, and
yet be like the false teachers Peter described as...
having eyes full of adultery and that never
cease from sin, enticing unstable souls,
having a heart trained in greed, accursed
children (II Peter 2:14).
Our “reputation" - what others think about us, is
no guarantee against the internal attitudes
"character" - what God knows we are - 1Sa 16:7,
Pr 5:21, 15:3, etc) in which one's mind is
constantly wandering down the illicit paths of
impurity. He can be outwardly clean and yet
defiled by his thought life which naturally leads to
evil words and deeds, Mk 7:21, 22, 23).
Today, begin to practice “retro-
faithfulness”. What I mean by that is that we
must take care of past situations of unfaithfulness
if we truly want to live our lives in faithfulness.
So, in this moment, deal with it before God, and
then look for opportunities to repair past breaches
of faithfulness in your life: with a spouse, family
member, former friend, or coworker.
The Command here is laid down (v. 27),
Thou shalt not commit adultery; which includes a
prohibition of all other acts of uncleanness, and
the desire of them. The desire itself is sinful, and
wrong desire leads to a sinful act. Take time to
discuss the meaning of the word, desire.
Day 3
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see. Read
the following texts:
Numbers 15:39, 32:23
Ezekiel 6:9; 18:12, 20:8
Joshua 7:20, 21
II Samuel 11:2, 3, 4, 5
Job 31:1,7
Paying particular attention to the connection
between the hands (action) and the heart
(eyes). Is this a particular area of struggle for
you? Make sure you are not deceiving
yourself. What are a few things you
can/should do to protect your character not
just your reputation?
A life of faithfulness takes care of the
“little things”. It’s not about avoiding a huge
situation only. It’s also about cultivating a
heart that longs never to drift from the
closeness of loyalty and contentment. Today,
silence the little criticisms, the malcontent
whispers that lie to you, and be fully
committed in the “little things” of life.
That such looks and such dalliances
are so very dangerous and destructive to the
soul, that it is better to lose the eye and the
hand that thus offend, than to give way to the
sin, and perish eternally in it.
As a family, read (v. 27-30).