Matters of the Heart
Matthew 5:27-32 27 "You have heard that it was said, ’Do not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, 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. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, 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. 31 "It has been said, ’Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
Intro: It seems that there are at least two possible paradigms or ways of approaching this passage. First, Jesus is upholding the value and dignity of each human life, as we talked about last week in the previous verses. People should not be looked at as objects to be used, but as precious people created in God’s image. In light of that, not only should people not commit adultery (which destroys families & relationships), but also they should guard the way they look at other human beings. They should guard their own desires which could lead to damaged relationships and broken lives.
-And if some tried to evade the adultery scenario, divorcing his wife so he can chase after someone else based on his lustful desires, Jesus had an answer for that. He told them that if a man divorced his wife basically to chase after someone else, then he would not be off the hook. As the parallel passage in Luke 16:18 shows, the man is guilty of adultery because the adultery was in his heart before he ever divorced his wife. See, God cares about people. He cares about families and marriages. But when someone gives in to selfish desires, people get hurt!
-The second paradigm or lens through which we might view this passage is one I’ve heard most preachers use – that Jesus is giving absolute commands about marriage for all people for all time. One of the reasons I have trouble with this viewpoint is that it does not seem to flow with the rest of Scripture. Jesus didn’t come to give a tougher law. Rather, He came as the truth and revealed the true heart issue in this case. Jesus’ words may have been directed at those who had adultery in their hearts and were trying to get what they wanted in a way that appeared legal and acceptable, but violated the spirit of the commands that were given regarding marriage. In response to that Jesus basically said that a wife’s marital unfaithfulness was the only grounds for her husband to divorce her. See, under Jewish law adultery referred only to the wife’s behavior, not the husband’s. (Matthew was writing to Jews and that is why he mentions only the wife’s adultery.) Jesus showed that adultery was really an issue of the heart and that men could be just as guilty as women. He used emphatic language to bring this across. As I’m sure you would agree, there are some situations that would call for separation at least. For example, if an abusive husband was repeatedly putting his wife or children in danger, a physical separation should take place. Get out of harm’s way and then see what steps can be taken to resolve the issue.
-As we look at this passage today, it helps us to realize that Jesus was dealing with issues of the heart, not simply outward appearances. God Himself said in 1 Samuel 16:7 “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” Here is the main truth for today:
Prop: Matters of the heart can only be resolved with the help of the Maker of hearts.
TS: Let’s look at a few thoughts on how followers of Christ can deal with these matters of the heart.
I. Christ Followers keep themselves away from sin (27-30)
A. Close the Windows (27-28)
27 "You have heard that it was said, ’Do not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
-Eyes are the windows of the heart. Most windows have some kind of shades, blinds, or shutters. Shutters are useful - use them! God gave us a couple of gifts that might help us here: eyelids and a moveable neck. I’m being a bit facetious, but I’m sure you get the point. There are times we need to close our eyes or turn away from whatever might be a source of temptation to us.
-Usually men have more of a struggle with this than women. God created men in such a way that they are primarily stimulated by what they see. Women are wired a bit differently and usually respond on a more relational level. However, we all need to guard what we allow to fly through the windows of our heart.
-Jesus indicated that immorality and unfaithfulness in marriage were issues that began in the heart. Just leaving the windows opened longer than they should be can awaken desires that can lead to adulterous actions. Heart adultery might begin with just a look. That is what happened with King David. His army was out doing battle, but he stayed home so Israel’s king would not be put at unnecessary risk. He had time on his hands and as he looked out from his palace rooftop, he saw a woman bathing. Instead of closing his eyes or turning away to protect her purity and his own, he got out his binoculars. He kept his heart windows opened to the wrong view, lusted after her and soon followed his desires up with action.
-The obvious thing to do is to close your eyes and turn away from temptation. But as every man in here knows, what an intense struggle that can be! Close the windows of the heart to the things that will destroy marriages and families. Jesus went on to say that closing the windows may not be enough.
B. Take drastic measures to avoid sin (29-30)
29 If your right eye causes you to sin, 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. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, 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.
-What is at stake here? Only eternity!
-Now let me be quick to say that it was common for teachers and orators of Jesus’ time to emphasize a truth by use of exaggeration (hyperbole). So, Jesus wasn’t actually promoting self-mutilation. An early church father named Origen took these verses so literally that he had himself castrated. I don’t know if that took care of the lust problem in his heart or not. I do know that gouging out an eye or cutting off a hand will not effectively cure the matters of the heart. Even someone with no eyes and no hands has an imagination and can still have a heart filled with evil desires.
-So, what was Jesus saying here? I believe He was simply saying that we should do whatever we have to do to keep ourselves away from sin.
-I can still remember being challenged as a teenager just 20-some miles up Hwy 204 past Tollgate at Camp Meadowood Springs. Whoever the speaker was that year challenged us to get rid of anything in our lives that was keeping us apart from God. I knew I had some music that was not helping me keep my focus on God, so I went home and destroyed it. It seems a little radical as I look back on it, but the attitude was right. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to stay away from sin and get close to God? Do you have things in your home or in your life that are harmful to your relationship with God? Is there something that makes you less holy? Is there something that steals the energy and focus you need to connect with your Creator? (And no, I don’t mean your kids. You’d better hang onto them.)
-Are you willing to take drastic measures to make a clean break from sin?
II. Christ Followers value every human life (31-32)
31 "It has been said, ’Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
-When Jesus talked about lust in v.28 He seemed to relate it to the value He has placed on people. Last week we talked about how much God values every person and how we should value them because they were created in the image of God. When a man lusts after another woman, he fails to recognize her as a person formed in God’s image. Instead she becomes an object to satisfy his selfish desires.
-Now, in these verses Jesus shows how so called respectable men were committing heart-adultery by abandoning their wives under the guise of allowable divorce as provided in the Law of Moses. Not only do they devalue the woman they are lusting after, they devalue their wife and family by abandoning them.
-There is no room for selfishness in God’s kingdom. Guard the sanctity of marriage. Marriage is designed to provide a lifetime bond between one man and one woman. It also provides a safe haven in which children can grow and learn to love God and man. When a marriage is shattered, no matter how socially acceptable divorce becomes, a lot of people get hurt really bad. I don’t say this to bring a guilt trip on anyone who has been through a divorce. Somehow God can help us put our lives back together- even after divorce.
-The matter of the heart Jesus is addressing here is how we value others. If we can remember that every person on this earth was created in God’s image and has value, perhaps that will affect the way we treat one another.
-Some of the nastiest, ugliest words ever heard are often exchanged between two people who at one time said they loved each other. Problems, pressures, financial worries, kids, in-laws, disagreements, and many other things can really test the commitment between a husband and wife. At some point they lose sight of the value of the other person and try to start over with someone else. I know it’s not always that cut and dry, but often it is. Unfortunately, unless God intervenes, they may lose sight of the God-given value of the next person.
-Those who follow Christ will learn to recognize the value God has placed in every human being- His very own image.
-Now, we haven’t covered too many things today, but maybe you’re already thinking, “This isn’t easy, Pastor. You just tell us to keep away from sin by closing the windows and being willing to take drastic measures. And you tell us to recognize how valuable every person is and that will somehow help us treat them better. How can we do that?” Well, I was hoping you would ask.
-TS: Let’s talk about it.
III. Christ Followers realize they cannot do it themselves
-Jesus came to help us do what we could never do ourselves. Jesus demonstrated God’s love for us by coming to this earth and dying as a sacrifice for us. We had no strength to help ourselves, but God stepped in and made a way through Jesus.
-Our best efforts fall miserably short of God’s goodness. When we receive God’s love, He enables us to love Him and other people. God is the One who will help us recognize His image in others. One reason we may have trouble recognizing God’s image may be because we don’t really know what God is like. Would you know Him if you saw Him? Well, He shows up everyday in the people around you. Will you honor Him by honoring those made in His image?
-I’m pretty sure this is what Jesus was saying when He said, “However you treat the lowest person is how you are treating Me” (my paraphrase of Mt. 25).
-If you don’t know what God is like, you won’t know what He looks like in other people. There are two things that will help you know God. First, meet Him. Yes, you can meet God and start a friendship with Him. He loves you and wants to change your heart and life so that it looks more like His. The second thing that will help you know God after you’ve met Him is to develop your friendship with Him. The best way I know to do that is to talk to Him and to read His biography. The Bible is the most complete book we have that tells us about God. In one sense it is His autobiography because He breathed the words into people who were in close friendship with Him and they wrote what He told them to write. One reason to go to church is to hear more and learn more about God through His word and through His people who are being restored to His image.
Conclusion: As we close, here’s the bottom line: We all need help to know God and to recognize His image in others. We all need help to keep ourselves away from sin. I’ve heard some amazing testimonies of men who were addicted to pornography and had trouble seeing the true value in women. God helped set them free. He helped them learn to close the windows of their heart to the wrong things, but open them to Him and His love.
-The help we need comes from above. God wants to come into our lives and help us become more like Him – the way He designed us.
-If you’re at a place where you recognize how much you need His help today, I’d love to pray with you and ask Him to meet you where you are. If you’ve not met Him yet, I’d love to introduce you to Him. He’s been waiting for this all of your life.
-Whatever you need from the Lord today, just ask Him. But in all your asking, ask Him to make you more like Him, loving the things that He loves and doing the things He does. If you want to talk to someone or pray with someone, please let me know. [Pray]
