lake reeds reflecting

abbey fountain

June 10, 2005

Faithfulness Mt 5:27-32

Jesus said to his disciples: "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. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.

"It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce. But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery."

This seems to be a harsh teaching at first glance. This passage has had different meanings to me. The excess of images and symbols of lust and treating people as sexual objects in the mass media of our culture is overwhelming.

The levels are from very subtle to blatant and in your face. The onslought of these messages is nonstop. Free speech is an important liberty but somehow it has been twisted to the point that the "sex sells" value reaches into all aspects of our daily life. There are billboards, radio and TV commercials, tasteless packaging for products, internet unsolicited
x-rated email and more.

Our current American culture has countless obstacles and deterrants for a person who chooses to live a celibate life or a monogamous life both of which are lives of commitment and love devotions.

The faithfulness to a love commitment made as a sacrament under God is a salvation. The person who turns away from the commitment can be doing so for a good reason or a foolish one.

I don't believe that a woman who leaves her husband because he is violent to her is required by God to stay. There is a part of the reading that says that divorce is not right "unless the marriage is unlawful" in the Gospel.

The Church has some definite explanations of exceptions. There are people who divorce with good cause who in the eyes of the Church can remain a part of the Church but because of past harsh interpretations or misinformation, they do not not that they can have the marriage annuled in the eyes of the Church and remain full members of the Church. It is with sadness that I hear of people who for years felt outcasts and unwelcome in the Church because of a divorce that they had as a result of unprovoked, dire circumstances.

I think that Jesus is teaching to not have lust in your hearts for anyone but your one heart's desire. Commitments of the heart are not to be taken lightly but with total devotion.