In the Philippines, since 2016, AN AVERAGE of 500,000 marriages take place each year.

An among those
millions of marriages, PSA recorded 40% marriage-breakup statistics – 10,000 of those are filed in court
for annulment.
According to Department of Justice, 26% of married Filipina women were charged with adultery (having
extramarital affairs), and 38% of married Filipino men were charged with concubinage. 28% women
(non-married) were charged as concubines.
You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at
a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”    —Matthew 5:27-28
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that
whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
(NKJV)

The second commandment Jesus addresses in the Sermon on the Mount deals with adultery.

27-28) Jesus interprets the law against adultery (Himay himayin – hermeneutics na tayo hehe – verba
legis (ordinary meaning), ratio legis anima (understanding the intent of the writer) )

a. You have heard that it was said to those of old:

Now, Jesus deals with what they had heard regarding the law of adultery. Balikan natin,
According to the Book of Exodus, the law forbidding adultery was codified for the Israelites at biblical
Mount Sinai. 
- Codified (process of collecting and restating the law of a jurisdiction in certain areas, usually by
subject, forming a legal code)
Ganun kahate ni Lord ang Adultery!

Of course, the teachers of the day taught that adultery itself was wrong, not pleasing to the eyes of the
Lordd. But they applied the law only to the actions, not to the heart.

b. Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart:

Jesus explains that it is possible to commit adultery or murder in our heart – or mind, and this also is sin
and prohibited by the command against adultery.

i. With the words, “whoever looks at a woman,”

Jesus located the origin of lust back to the eyes.

According to Jesus, adultery is not only the act of having sex outside of marriage; it is also
something you do in your mind. Job, who understood this, had said, "I made a covenant
with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl" (Job 31:1).

ii. However, it is important to understand that Jesus is not saying that the act of adultery and
adultery in the heart are the same thing.
 More than a few people have been deceived on this point and say, “I’ve already committed
adultery in my heart, so I may as well do it in practice.”

The act of adultery is far worse than adultery in the heart. Jesus’ point is not to say they are
the same things, but to say they are both sin, and both prohibited by the command against
adultery.

What is the difference of the two?

David allowed his heart to be led by his eyes when "he saw a woman bathing"; he saw that she
"was very beautiful," and then he sent for her and "slept with her" (2 Samuel 11:2-4). David first
committed adultery with his eyes and then with his body. This lust, turned into rape of
Batsheba, turned into murder of Uriah (husband ni Batsheba).
And with this sin, the Holy Spirit was grieving inside of David. Came to a point that David cried in
Psalms 51
“Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 
Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

Just like King Saul, na holy spirit flew away from him.
David became David because of the empowering of the Holy Spirit! He doesn’t want to be like
King Saul, nung nagfy ang holy spirit. he became an ordinary king. And nakakakita na and
nakakarinig ng demons si Saul.
c. Adultery… in his heart: Since Jesus considers adultery in the heart a sin, we know what we think
about and allow our heart to rest on is based on choice.

Many believe they have no choice – and therefore no responsibility – for what they think about, but this
contradicts the clear teaching of Jesus here.
We may not be able to control passing thoughts or feelings, but we certainly do decide where our heart
and mind will rest.

iii. Jesus, though tempted in all ways (Hebrews 4:15), endured such temptations but did not yield to
such sin.

Also, we have to be reminded that Adultery also involves spiritual adultery. When we place anything or
anyone above God, we have committed spiritual adultery. We are the bride of Christ, the church.
WE have our marriage with Christ. if we are not careful, it is possible to betray Christ our husband
(groom), we the church his bride, despite thinking that we are following Him.

James 4:4 “4 aYou adulterous people!

3 b
 Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?  Therefore whoever wishes to 
be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
What then are we to do? Jesus says, "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it
away... And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away." With the use of shocking
descriptions here to get our attention, Jesus is saying we should not let our eyes lead our heart, and we
should not let our hands do what is wrong.

In this fallen world, we are all affected in some way by many vices. In the last of days, of the last days,
We must guard ourselves against those ungodly values of the world that can readily become patterns
for our thoughts and deeds. Do business with God today and ask Him to refocus your heart to
love and keep Him first.