“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

In first-century Judaism, the religious leaders had mastered the art of external compliance. They could recite the commandments, follow the rituals, and maintain their reputation in the community. Yet Jesus cuts through their carefully constructed facade with surgical precision: "You have heard it said… but I say to you."

The Pharisees had reduced the seventh commandment to its most basic interpretation—don’t physically commit adultery and you’re righteous. But Jesus reveals that God’s standard has always been about the heart, not just behavior. The Hebrew word for “heart” (leb) encompasses the entire inner life—thoughts, desires, will, and character.

This wasn’t actually a new teaching. King David understood this principle when he wrote, “Create in me a clean heart, O God” (Psalm 51:10). The prophet Jeremiah spoke of God’s desire to write His law on human hearts (Jeremiah 31:33). Jesus wasn’t introducing a higher standard; He was revealing the standard that had always existed.

The coffee cup analogy hits home because we all engage in this kind of selective cleaning. We scrub the visible surfaces while ignoring what’s festering inside. But Jesus knows that what’s in the heart will eventually manifest in action. The progression from lustful thought to adulterous action isn’t inevitable, but it’s predictable when the heart remains unchanged.

This passage challenges our tendency toward moral compartmentalization—the idea that we can maintain spiritual facades while harboring destructive desires. True righteousness begins with an honest assessment of our inner world.

Conduct an honest inventory of one area where you’ve been focusing on external compliance rather than heart transformation. Instead of just managing behavior, ask God to reveal and heal the deeper heart issues.