You have hear that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Again, Radical Jesus preaches on the hillside that it’s what’s in our hearts that corrupts us, not just our external actions. He makes it clear that our motivations are not hidden from Him and that discipleship at His feet consists of more thatn just implementing a scaffold of rules to control our behaviors. Following Jesus means, literally, to get down to the heart of the matter.
Following the Law with regards to adultery meant that one was not guilty until the act was consummated. Sadly, in humankind’s broken state, this becomes license to uninhibited fantasy and the resulting objectification of others. Radical Jesus says that this pattern of thought is incompatible with the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Transformed. Discipleship means that we cooperate with Him in performing the radical housecleaning necessary to form the undivided heart of Love.
Walking toward the cross weighted down by unholy motivations results in slow progress. Our radical guide says to strip off this unnecessary burden and cast it alongside the path. It will hurt, but tearing it out and leaving it behind as we press on toward the goal is a small sacrifice.
LOVE | ACCEPT | FORGIVE 