We must pay very careful attention to what Jesus is saying in this passage. He is not simply saying that lust is as bad as adultery. What he says is more subtle, and more devastating, than that.
Disciples of Jesus take anger—and the importance of reconciliation—dead seriously.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). Why would Jesus say this, and what does it mean?
Which would you rather have: the world's approval now, or God's approval forever? Because you can't have both.