As a mom of three boys, I wanted to protect them from the harsher realities of life, but also let them learn the consequences of their actions. I didn’t enjoy the trips to the ER for stitches etc. when they went rogue, but hoped they learned something in the process. It was sometimes impossible to protect them from themselves or life but knowing that God was in control helped, he loved them more than I did.
What does this have to do with Matthew 5? Why was it necessary to talk about the consequences of lust so graphically? As our loving Father, he wants to protect us, but he also wants us to know that there are consequences when we make choices that harm ourselves and others. And here he wants us to see that there is a progression from what we see, to what we think and then what we do. God as our loving father knows the consequences of the progression of sin and loss of self-control, while we deceive ourselves. (James 1:22)
He wants us to see the seriousness of the problem. He wants us to grasp that our eyes and hands aren’t the “cause” of the sin; the real problem is in our hearts. (James 4:8) God accomplishes this by pouring the Spirit of His Son into our hearts.
Jesus is saying we should be willing to give up whatever is necessary to protect ourselves from the consequences of an evil, adulterous heart.
Listen to what C.S.Lewis says in his classic work,”Mere Christianity”. . .
“After each failure, ask forgiveness, pick yourself up, and try again. Very often, what God first helps us towards is not the virtue itself but just this power of always trying again. For however important chastity (or courage or truthfulness, or any other virtue) may be, this process trains us in habits of the soul which are more important still. It curses our illusions about ourselves and teaches us to depend upon God. We learn, on the one hand, that we cannot trust ourselves, even in our best moments, and, on the other, that we need not despair even in our worst, for our failures are forgiven. The only fatal thing is to sit down content with anything less than perfection.” (Mere C. in ‘The Best of CSL’ p.482)
God wants the best for you. He doesn’t want you to stay stuck in shame, embarrassment, or bitterness. He isn’t going to turn a deaf ear when you mess up if you are sincerely sorry and ask for his forgiveness and help. Most of us know this, but Father please give us the courage and wisdom to share it with those who don’t.
Deb Hill
Executive Assistant