Today's first reading from 1 Kings 19 tells of how God speaks to us. We’re back in that pesky old Sermon on the Mount for today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 5. Today we hear Jesus teaching about the Sixth Commandment – You shall not commit adultery. Here’s what He says.
“You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Given this, don’t you think it’s possible that the Sixth Commandment is the most broken of all the commandments?
In our sex-saturated, pornography-filled culture, the objectification of others as mere sex objects has become so commonplace that we may not even realize it any more. Lust has become so mainstream that most folks probably don't even consider it a sin, much less one of the Capital Sins. We see it every day, but have become so desensitized to it that it probably escapes our view. But ask any priest what the most common thing they hear in the confessional today is, and I’ll bet dollars to donuts it has to do with pornography and, though many don’t think of it in Jesus’ terms, adultery. We need to begin looking at others as the child of God that they are. When we view others through the eyes of Jesus, lust and adultery will no longer be an issue. We will see them not as objects of our own sexual gratification, but as sisters and brothers who need God’s love and grace just as much as we do.
Father, forgive us for the many times each day we commit adultery. Help us to see others through your eyes, and truly want what is best for them. Amen.
Thank you Gus for talking about this. This is something I struggle with. I pray that Jesus can forgive me those times I fall. Have a wonderful day and weekend. God bless you always.