Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. Matthew 5:27-32
Sadly, Israel’s women were treated as second-class citizens with few rights and fewer means of escape from difficult circumstances. John Phillips notes that the Jewish divorce laws were “one-sided and chauvinistic” (Exploring the Gospel of Matthew, 102). Moses had given the law of divorce in Deuteronomy 24. Jesus said it was given because of the hardness of their hearts (Matthew 19:2-9). Malachi, the prophet four hundred years before John the Baptist’s arrival, specifically viewed how those who came to worship Him were treating the wives God had given them as gifts.
And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand. Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously. Malachi 2:13-16
God is not behind the “good old boy, boys will be boys” culture. Jesus elevated women by showing them respect and giving them purpose within His ministry. He saw the heart of those who claimed to love God and misused women both within their hearts and in their actions. Though pornography may not have been as readily available as it is today, Jesus taught that viewing women with anything other than a pure heart is sin.
Note that there is no mention of how the woman dressed in this passage. There are no loopholes or excuses for a man’s lust, adultery, or heartless treatment of his wife. A man who misuses women or mistreats his wife has only one solution to bring himself back into compliance with Jesus. He must stop. Jesus does not offer a twelve-step program. It is not complicated. Stop lusting. Stop mistreating your wives. Cut off any avenue that offers the temptation. Stop making excuses.
While the emphasis was on men in Jesus’s culture, women who follow Jesus today have just as many temptations available. Pornographic movies, books, and media target women too. Lust is not a problem just for men, and women have a responsibility to guard their hearts. Those who follow Jesus must make His purity their own, both before marriage and in marriage. He does not allow for any excuses in this area.
His Song in the Night 