Adultery, Divorce, Oaths, & Retaliation

“[Jesus] lived in a world of spiritual realization far beyond that of which the average man has any understanding.” - Ernest Holmes

Can we begin to accept that we can rise above averages, and that we don’t need to live in the consideration that Jesus, or any other mystical prophet, was somehow greater than we are? I think it’s time!

As we continue to consider the sermon on the mount we’ve come to a section that seems pretty straightforward, pretty literal, and frankly quite condemning. Taking a deeper dive into spiritual realization can help us unpack some less obvious meaning here. Here’s the whole section (and, yes, it is a bit long):

“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 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 for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.

“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

“Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be, ‘Yes, yes,’ or ‘No, no’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.

“You have heard it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.”

- Matthew 5:27-42

These directives, or commandments, may seem like tough pills to swallow. And if we take them a their surface, they can be. Metaphorically speaking, though, what is happening here is a great reminder of one major aspect of our great teaching: we are responsible for our actions.

The section here is a direct reference to the ten commandments. In the first part of this section on adultery, the metaphorical understanding of adultery is to believe in a creative power other than the One. If we settle into this dualism, thinking on any level, that there is God and something else, we may be putting our faith in that something beyond. This sense of separation leads to heartache, pain, and suffering. When we know that there is only one infinite (and, just by way of logic, if there were something else, it wouldn’t be infinite) then we come to know ourselves as that very thing. We empower ourselves consciously by knowing that there is no power separate from ourselves, and all creation has equal access to this power of creation. This allows us to rise up to a new way of being, free of the confines of heartache, pain, and suffering.

There is no separation. This concept becomes integral to the eyes and hands as the potential cause of sin. To remove our eye, to remove our hand, these are metaphors for releasing from our sight and our touch any idea that form has any power. Form is simply a result, and the actual power is in the energy and consciousness behind the form. If we keep our eye focused on the form and our hands touching the form with any notion that form has power we tacitly condemn our entire being-ness to the results of that belief. That result? A consciousness of hell, and that consciousness creates hellish circumstances in our lives right now.

The section that follows, discussing divorce, is more than just a commentary on matrimony. Divorce is a concept of running from our problems. As long as we run from our problems we will continue to experience the problem. You may have heard this concept in this way: what you resist persists.

The solution to this is to counteract the circumstances we are trying to escape with a consciousness of Spiritual Truth. It could be considered adulterous to run away from Spiritual Truth… remembering that adultery is believing in a separate power.

Concerning oaths, we must remain open to the Infinite possibility in all things. We move ourselves away from this when we “swear falsely.” To “swear at all” is to borrow against your future—in doing this we shut out the Infinite good from our present experience. To counteract this, spiritual practice can deliver us from a limited consciousness and place us in an expanded consciousness. This is remaining “open at the top.” When we are “open at the top” we welcome deeper insight and wisdom to pour forth.

Our responsibility, then, is to remain in present moment living, intuitive living, rooted in the power of now.

There is also a correlation in this to what we call “outlining” in our prayer work. To desire to make “one hair white or black” is demanding of the Infinite a specific way of delivering our Spiritual good. To anthropomorphize God, this is essentially telling God how to do its work. Instead, let us root our spiritual work in “Yes, yes,” and “No, no.” Like the affirmations and denials of Emma Curtis Hopkins. When rooted in Spiritual truth these frames of mind welcome the infinite possibility to show up for us in its highest.

The final section of today’s considerations is all about retaliation, revenge, and radical forgiveness. We experience the circumstances based on what is first in mind. If we actively participate in retaliation or revenge we are welcoming more for which to be vengeful into our experience of life. The antidote to this is forgiveness. Forgiveness is a tremendous healing power. Radical forgiveness, that is a deep spiritual understanding that there is that which has never been touched by any outside circumstance, provides a radical healing consciousness.

Turning the other cheek is a mental idea. It is not a call for us to allow ourselves to become doormats, or to abandon discernment. Turning the other cheek is about changing our minds. When we change our thoughts, we address underlying beliefs which may  create erroneous circumstances.

If our own concept of life is what we see and attract, then when people “wrong” us it is our responsibility to not only remember who we are, but remember who they are as well. This change of mind (turning the other cheek) changes the experience immediately.

Was that a lot to take in? Let yourself sit with the concepts more deeply and see what bubbles to the surface of your awareness! I believe you will find more peace and love available in your experience.