“You know the next commandment pretty well, too: ‘Don’t go to bed with another’s spouse.’ But don’t think you’ve preserved your virtue simply by staying out of bed. Your heart can be corrupted by lust even quicker than your body. Those leering looks you think nobody notices-they also corrupt. “Let’s not pretend this is easier than it really is. If you want to live a morally pure life, here’s what you have to do: You have to blind your right eye the moment you catch it in a lustful leer. You have to choose to live one-eyed or else be dumped on a moral trash pile. (Matthew 5:27-29 MSG)
What is lust? Lust is wanting something beyond what God has given me. It’s focusing my eyes on what satisfies for the moment without concern for the consequences. Jesus deals with a common problem, but lust is not confined to this example. Lust includes adding anything to my want list that clutters my mind and corrupts my heart from seeing Jesus.
Jesus is saying that I shouldn’t fall into the easy belief that I’m right with God because of my overt actions. Each time I look with lust I’m adding a layer of filth on the walls of my mind that make it harder to clearly see things the way Jesus does.
The problem is we think no one notices. Have you ever watched the watchers? When an attractive female walks by, watch the males’ reactions. As easily as we can see these obvious responses, God can see our thoughts even when we “think nobody notices.”
If I want to live a morally pure life, Jesus says I must get rid of the offending member. At the root of lust is the thought, “I deserve more.” Thinking I deserve more comes from vanity and pride puffing up my own self-importance. The reason my eyes stray to gaze upon that which I do not need is because I am not content with what God has provided.
The fact is I deserve nothing. Closer to the truth is the more I lust the less I deserve. Conversely, the less I lust, the more content I become–thereby receiving more than I had. Contentment benefits by reducing the clutter in the mind and heart and simplifying my life. In the simple life I can walk in the peace and presence of the one who saved me from these worldly cares.
Deep Questions 