Five weeks ago, I gave some excerpts which presented the teaching of the prophets that Israel's lapses into idolatry were comparable to adultery. Implicit in that view is that adultery is not merely a violation of property rights but a denial of the love between spouses. Now we look briefly at further developments in the Wisdom literature of the Old Testament.
"The Old Testament legal tradition was concerned with adultery of the body. But Christ shifts the focal point of sin from the body to the heart."
When Jesus told his hearers that anyone who looked with lust upon a woman had already committed adultery with her in his heart, that might well have called to mind some of the "wisdom literature" of the Jewish scriptures (Old Testament). "Proverbs, for example, repeatedly warns against the snares of lust."
"In the Book of Proverbs, a father warns his son, 'Do not lust in your heart after her beauty, or let her captivate you with her eyes' (Prov. 6:25). And Sirach instructs, 'Turn your eyes away from a shapely woman, and do not look intently at beauty belonging to another.' (Sir. 9:8-9).
"The Wisdom books …. appeal to the interior man — the conscience — and in that sense they prefigure Christ's radical shift in the basis of morality. The Wisdom books, together with the Prophets, helped prepare the hearts of the people for the transforming power of Christ."
It would not make sense to me if straight people were not to look with lust, but it was perfectly okay for gay guys simply because the object was a man. So I think the teaching about lust applies to us too.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
maybe even more so. since the end of a lustfull look for a straight guy can sometimes (within marraige) be a good. However, the end of a lustfull look of a gay guy cannot be a good.
Good point, although as JPII uses the word, even within marriage lust (the reducing of the other to an object for one's own pleasure) is not a good thing.
Post a Comment