“只是我告诉你们，凡看见妇女就动淫念的，这人心里已经与她犯奸淫了。” - 太 5:28

反思耶稣在这里的话语，人们有时会想：“如果我因贪恋别人的家室而被贴上淫乱的标签，为什么不找点乐子，直接去奸淫，反正都是一样的代价？”

但这并非耶稣的意思。贪恋是一种恶念。恶念是邪恶的倾向和欲望。它们是错误的，必须每天与之抗争。恶念是罪恶的动机，我们若让它们控制我们的心思意念，就会导致我们犯罪。而它们所导致的罪比恶念本身造成的伤害更大。

因此，淫欲是一种恶念，会导致更为罪恶的奸淫行为。奸淫行为要严重得多，因为它带来了更严重的后果。想与某人发生性关系的念头，可能会对贪恋之人的人格产生负面影响。但任何婚外性行为都会同时对当事人和其他人产生严重影响。它有可能破坏婚姻，或使未来的婚姻以怀疑为起点。

并非所有的罪都是一样的。有些后果轻微；有些后果则严重得多。

耶稣其实没有暗示我们，既然已经违反了一条律法，就可以自由地违反更多的律法。祂是在表明，导致犯罪的欲望本身就是有罪的，需要加以解决。

祷告

主啊，请赦免我们的罪念和情欲。帮助我们每天抵挡诱惑我们的邪恶欲望。保守我们不伤害自己和他人。我们奉基督的名祷告，祂曾成为与我们一样的人，却没有犯罪。阿们。

马太福音 5:27-32

27“你们听见有话说：‘不可奸淫。’
28只是我告诉你们，凡看见妇女就动淫念的，这人心里已经与她犯奸淫了。
29若是你的右眼叫你跌倒，就剜出来丢掉！宁可失去百体中的一体，不叫全身丢在地狱里。
30若是右手叫你跌倒，就砍下来丢掉！宁可失去百体中的一体，不叫全身下入地狱。
31又有话说：‘人若休妻，就当给她休书。’
32只是我告诉你们，凡休妻的，若不是为淫乱的缘故，就是叫她做淫妇了；人若娶这被休的妇人，也是犯奸淫了。

Vices Are The Basis Of Sin

"I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." - Matthew 5:28

Reflecting on Jesus’ words here, people have sometimes thought, “If I am going to be flagged for adultery by lusting after someone, why not have some fun and go ahead with adultery, all at the same cost?”

But that was not Jesus’ point. Lust is a vice. Vices are evil tendencies and desires. They are wrong and must be combatted daily. Vices are sinful motives, and when we let them control our hearts and minds, they lead us to sin. And the sins they lead to cause greater harm than the vice itself.

So lust is a vice that can lead to the far more sinful act of adultery. Adultery is far worse because it has worse consequences. Thinking about having sex with someone may have a negative effect on the character of the one who is lusting. But any nonmarital sex affects the sinner and others deeply. It has the potential to break a marriage, or to make a future marriage begin with suspicion.

Not all sins are the same. Some have minor consequences; others have far greater consequences.

Jesus was hardly suggesting that since we have broken one law, we should feel free to break more. He was showing that the desire that leads to sin is itself sinful and needs to be addressed.

Prayer

Forgive us, Lord, for our sinful thoughts and desires. Help us daily to fight off the evil desires that tempt us. Keep us from harming ourselves and others. We pray in the name of Christ, who was like us but did not sin. Amen.