Drastic Action

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. "It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

- In a world that constantly tells us that pornography, adultery, and divorce are normal--that "sexual freedom" is a cause for celebration--even Christians are becoming increasingly callous in these matters. We have more reason than ever before to run back to Jesus' teaching in today's passage. He tells us that even looking lustfully at another person is a violation of the commandment against adultery. Our so-called "sexual freedom" actually leads to imprisonment and slavery to lust and causes us to stumble blindly into hell. It is therefore better to take drastic action and cut off the things that tempt us than to fall into such sin.

Nothing but the Truth

"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.' But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

- What would the world look like if everyone told the truth? If we are honest, we often bend the truth and try to justify our actions in the process. We tell ourselves that we are telling a white lie to protect someone's feelings or that it is not a big deal. We do not feel the need to be truthful unless the situation is very serious or we are under oath to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. But those who follow Jesus should tell the truth in every circumstance; we should have integrity in our speech at all times.