Lustful Desires

 

[Jesus said] “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 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. 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.” (Matthew 5:27-30 ESV).

 

I hope you are old enough to remember the age of drive-ins, outdoor movies, and muscle cars. The ‘60s produced some of the most beautiful of these cars. The one I’ve pictured here is a 1967 Chevrolet SS396 Chevelle. I had one as a senior in high school and with the help of some friends it became one of the fastest cars in town in a quarter mile. That car got away from me as I moved from high school to college, from single to married, from one responsibility to another. Yet, I find myself gawking at one every time I see a restored version of “my car.”

 

On the one hand, this can be harmless fun—who doesn’t like to daydream about things we think are beautiful? I would love to have one again! Innocent enough… right?  It can be, but on the other hand, all these innocent desires can easily go too far. I’ve seen them fully restored and ready to drive for about $75,000. Yeah, that pretty much stops my dreams from going any further to consummation. It would be so irresponsible to spend that much money on a “toy” at my stage in life. I simply don’t have that capacity. Some folks do, and that’s OK, but I’m not in that category. So, I must guard my heart against doing something unwise that could hurt my family or others.  

 

Jesus goes much further in His teaching to speak directly to “adultery.” He understands that sometimes we might be around an attractive person and feel tempted to “window shop.” When he speaks of lust in this passage, it’s more than just noticing someone—it’s a look or a fantasy with intent. It means treating a human being as an object we’d like to have. In today’s world, that kind of fantasizing is called normal and is even encouraged. But Jesus explains that it violates God’s commands. So Jesus warns us that we must avoid temptation and keep our hearts in line with his. Take care of your thoughts. They matter.