FAITHFUL PASSIONS

Dining with Jesus Christian Episodes

PASTOR RYAN LADEN – DEVOTIONALS

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What did Jesus just say? Over and over we hear the Lord challenging his audiences to look past the obvious, past the surface level understanding of the law and customs of their religion. Jesus uses powerful language for a reason. We can be a slow, self-absorbed, and thick-headed lot. We often need the Lord to say or do something in our lives that pushes past the fog in our heads if we are going to understand the truth being given to us. 

In the following passage, the Lord Jesus confirms the principle behind Exodus 20:14, “Do not commit adultery”, by calling us to take drastic action. 

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

(Matthew 5:27-30 NIV11)

Verse 27

Jesus confirms the message and truth behind the seventh commandment. 

But, the Lord was not content with allowing us to assume that as long as we are not having sexual relations with someone other than our spouse, that this was all that the Lord wanted from us in terms of our calling to be a people that seek faithfulness in all our relationships. 

Verse 28

This is an absolute bomb of a statement from Jesus Christ! Jesus takes on the assumption that we can achieve faithfulness to our wives and husbands (current or future if not yet married) so long as we do not have physical sex with someone outside of this covenant of marriage. 

Jesus speaks to much more than our physical actions. He calls us to look into our hearts, into our minds, into our desires, and into our desire to be truly faithful in our marriages. 

Look

The Greek word behind our translation of “lustfully” is that of epithumeo. This is a compound word made up of a preposition, epi, and the verb, thumos. Thumos is a term used to describe great passion. This passion covers a lot of ground, pulling in the ideas of hatred as well as lust. 

This term implies a kind of looking or seeking out of another person with a passion that is not in keeping with God’s desire for healthy marriages. It is more than simply looking at an attractive person. That is not a strong enough reading of this message.  

Passion

Jesus is telling us that when we allow our passion for another to supplant our passion for our spouse, we are guilty of violating the bond of faithfulness intended to be shared between a husband and wife. 

The Lord desires his people, married or not, to be people who seek fidelity, being true of our word and our commitment. When we chase our passions for others outside of our passions for our spouse, we violate our commitment to be people marked by the faithfulness seen in the heart of God. 

Verses 29-30

This hyperbolic message uses extreme language to call us away from the dangers of lust and uncontrolled passions. Jesus wants to get our attention and this surgical message definitely hits the mark. 

Let me address this part of Jesus’ teaching this way…

If you died and found yourself separated from God in the biblical concept of hell, is there any amount of wealth, any sacrifice that you would not make if you knew that this action would cause you to move from hell to heaven?

Likewise, if you were to experience the hell of divorce in this life and you knew that you could go back and undo the selfish actions and ungodly choices that you made in that relationship in order to save the marriage, would you not make whatever change was needed?

Jesus is challenging us to make the changes needed today to help us avoid the hellscape of a broken and irreparable marriage.

Prayer

  •   What would you like to ask the Lord to help you with as you think about examples of selfishness, misplaced passion, and lust in your life?
  •   Are you willing to name these areas of need before the Lord  as you seek him in prayer today? 

In Christ, 

Ryan Laden

PASTOR RYAN LADEN


Works at MTN. CHURCH

Former Senior pastor at Warnbro Community Church

Studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at Baylor University

Studied at Texas Tech University

Went to Castle Hills First Baptist

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