"You have heard that it was said, You will not commit adultery, but I say to you, that everyone who is viewing toward a woman to intensely feel after her, has already committed adultery on her within the heart."
Rules as solutions. Jesus responded in several ways to his rule making society. One way is to move inward to the heart. Another is to change the definition. Here, he does both.
In Holy Wind Living Breath New Testament, the 'present' or 'continuous' tense is often made emphatic. So, here, "everyone who is viewing." When this viewing of another woman becomes continual, there is a problem. Likewise, the problem becomes severe when this viewing has a distinct purpose: to intensely feel (KATA, used as an intensifier, along with the verb TO FEEL) after this person. If one reaches this stage, says Jesus, the adultery is a fait accompli. At least from the perspective of the inward life, our heart.
So, rules as solutions? Not really. Learning to respect ourselves and then learning to respect others is the fundamental life principle.
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