“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If 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. And 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. “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.’ But 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 (Mt. 5:27-32)”
Jesus gave a deeper insight into what God expected of marriage. It was an indissoluble contract between a man and a woman. It is a covenant of personal love between husband and wife similar to the covenantal relationship between God and His people. All immoral behavior begins in the heart and that is where the festering roots of adultery need to be removed from. We should not give in to such feelings even if we have to make great sacrifices so as not to offend God.
Divorce was tolerated if a husband found his wife doing something indecent and indecent was not specifically defined (Deut. 24:1-4). A woman could not divorce her husband. Unchastity could have referred to forbidden or unlawful marriages of people who were close blood relatives or marriages between Jews and pagans. Pagans practiced abominable customs – intercourse with animals, homosexuality, marriage of close blood relatives, child sacrifice - to name a few. (Lev. 18).
Almighty God, strengthen our hearts that we may exercise self-control at times when the desires of our flesh weaken our resolve to be obedient to you. Send your Holy Spirit upon us that we may remain committed in our covenants of love. Help us not to squander the precious gift of Salvation Christ earned for us with his blood as we toil through this perilous life. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
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References:
Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, & Roland E. Murphy, (Eds.). (1990, 1968). The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentis Hall, Inc.
Jose M. Casciaro, Santiago Ausin, Gonzalo Aranda, Claudio Basevi, Vincente Balaguer, Francisco Varo, James Gavigan, Brian McCarthy & Thomas McGovern (Eds.). (2017). The Navarre Bible - New Testament. Dublin 8, Ireland: Four Courts Press.
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