The Sermon on the Mount: Adultery
In the seventh in his series on the Sermon on the Mount, Pastor Shane unpacks what Jesus has to say about adultery, and how to adultery-proof your marriage.
Click here for the recording of this 3/2/25 Service, and you can fast-forward to 21:09 to get to the start of the sermon.
Our text comes from Matthew Chapter 5.27-32
27 “ You have heard that it was said, ‘ You shall not commit adultery’; 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 Now if your right eye is causing you to sin, tear it out and throw it away from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
30 And if your right hand is causing you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.”
31 “Now it was said, ‘ Whoever sends his wife away is to give her a certificate of divorce’; 32 but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
Introduction…
This morning we look at the subject of adultery, because Jesus first preached about it in the Sermon on the Mount
There is nothing more damaging to a marriage than adultery, with the possible exception of child molestation
Further, Christ died for the adulterer, and forgiveness can be found
There is no way to deal with this subject without talking about sex
I’m told I’ve talked too much about sex from this pulpit- in fact, I’ve mentioned sex less from this pulpit, than in the previous 7 churches combined, primarily because of the conservative nature of this church
In the first 6 months of my time here as interim, I had to deal with 4 separate issues brought to me, dealing with sexual sin or dysfunction
To deny the reality of sexual sin or dysfunction in America today, or here in this church, is naïve
To refuse to deal with it, scripturally, from the pulpit or in discipleship groups, is derelict
You didn’t arrive in this world via the stork, or the cabbage patch
Ideally, you were conceived, in an act of love, between your married parents; this act was designed by God, created for two reasons- procreation, and pleasure
V27-28
Here Jesus quotes Ex 20 and Dt 15
“but I say, whoever looks… with lust…” epithumeō- to long for or desire; crave
Immediately Jesus adds to the OT understanding of adultery by shifting it from act, to thought
He knew that sin starts in the mind; the battle for your soul, is won, or lost, in your mind
The peril of porn…the crack cocaine of sexual sin
“Sin is an invisible force, emanating from Satan, that impacts on the mind and will, to think and act in terms of negative life choices, thus detracting from one’s Kingdom potential.”
In doing so He broadens the definition of adultery to include anything that would violate fidelity to one’s spouse and marriage vows
When you put anything ahead of your spouse- a job, hobby, a relationship, children, anything -you violate your marriage vows
Ex- the danger of parallel lives
V29-30
Jesus is using exaggeration to make a point
Better to lose one’s right eye or hand, than to be thrown into Hell (gehenna- the place of the dead, which consumed with fire)
He mentions Hell 2x in this passage alone
He wants us to deal with the temptation by removing its source
V31-32
Again, Jesus quotes the OT- Dt 24, Jer 3; Whoever divorces his wife is to give her a legal document of divorce, apostasion- a bill of repudiation, deed of divorce
“But I say…”
Jesus is arguing for the preservation of the marriage
Note: nowhere in Scripture is divorce promoted; it is allowed
Reconciliation is the goal wherever possible
V31-32
He allows for divorce in the case of adultery
Paul later includes dissertation as a rightful cause for divorce, and allows for remarriage of the innocent party, 1 Cor 7
Christian married love defined
“The persistent effort, on the part of two people, to create for each other the circumstances in which each can become the person God intended him or her to be, a better person that he/she could become alone.” – Dr. Richard D. Dobbins
Adultery-proofing your marriage
Foster a healthy emotional and sexual relationship with your spouse
Set up biblical boundaries around your marriage
Invest time and energy in your marriage
Don’t let a job, or children, consume your love and energy for your spouse
When the will of one partner in the marriage consistently dominates, that is an unequal yoking, and must be dealt with; deal with it, or be miserable; the choice is yours
Be willing to create a crisis in an effort to save your marriage
When trauma impacts your marriage, invest time, energy and money in marital therapy; it is worth saving
