Lust

This word, today, has a strictly negative connotation.  It is one of the “seven deadly sins” of some Christian traditions.  Originally, the word was morally neutral, and simply meant “to have a strong desire for.”  There are occasions in the Bible when the word that is translated as lust (avah in Hebrew, epithumia in Greek) has completely positive connotations, such as here: “And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after; for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth; and thou shalt eat there before Yahweh thy Elohim, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household.” (Deu 14:26)  Another place is here: “And [Yahshua] said unto them, ‘With desire [epithumia] I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.’” (Luke 22:15)

Some feel condemned, and guilty, because the traditional meaning of “lust” is applied to Biblical passages that are thus given undue emphasis.  Most famously, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery,’ but I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (Mat 5:27, 28)

This does not mean, as some have taken it to mean, that a man cannot find a woman attractive, or vice versa.  It does not mean that natural desire between males and females is somehow less than pure.  What the Scriptures condemn is termed in another place as “inordinate affection,” (Col 3:5) and addresses almost exactly what the 10^th commandment already does – a desire that goes beyond mere attraction, but a consuming urge to possess.  Control of the thoughts and the imagination is certainly a duty of the Christian, (2Cor 10:5) but we are no more to live in fear of condemnation for our thoughts as we are to live in fear of spiders, snakes or scorpions. (Luke 10:19)