Jerry Seinfeld on Adultery: “All I see is this gigantic amount of work for a fleeting pleasure.”

Although it’s been nearly a quarter-century since the sitcom “Seinfeld” ceased producing new programs, reruns continue to entertain the show’s legion of fans – and its creator and namesake, Jerry Seinfeld, still grabs headlines, and even when he’d probably rather be left alone.

Now 68, Jerry Seinfeld was photographed just before Christmas with his wife, Jessica, at Gourveneur Beach in St. Barts in the Caribbean. They were reportedly there to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Married for 23 years this past Christmas Day, the couple have three children: Sascha, 22, Julian, 19, and Shepard, 17.

Once praised for his two plus decade union, Seinfeld responded like he often does – by joking, though the best jesting usually contains an element of truth.

“Well, I’m not in Hollywood, I’m in New York, so I have a little advantage there,” he said. “I always thought that L.A. was very bad for marriage. I think you need good — four seasons is good marriage weather. When it’s sunny and warm all the time, that’s not good for long relationships, you know? ‘Cause it makes you want to venture out. It’s nice out. In New York, you just want to stay home in the winter.”

Born into a Jewish family, and known to lean left at times on key social issues, Jerry Seinfeld is certainly not a spokesperson for the issues which Christian conservatives traditionally hold deep convictions.

Yet a recent article on Fox quoted the Long Island-born comedian advocating strongly for marital monogamy.

“My personal viewpoint is this,” he once said. “The problem with humans is our heads are just way too big. I don’t have any friends who aren’t faithful to their wives, but if I did, my main question would be, ‘Who’s got time to figure all that out?’ It’s just too much work.”

He continued:

“The emotions that have to be disposed of, the values, the ethics. All I see is this gigantic amount of work for a fleeting pleasure. People should get married because they have finally seen the folly of being single: ‘Oh, this is all just kind of a bad magic trick. I just keep bending over to reach for this wallet on a string. How much longer am I gonna do that?'”

Of course, our motivation for marital fidelity goes well beyond matters of personal convenience. First and foremost, we’re called to be faithful to our spouse because the Bible commands it (Exodus 20:14, Hebrews 13:4). But we’re also sexually exclusive because we’ve vowed to be so – and because infidelity not only destroys trust, but also shatters entire families.

“The monstrosity of sexual intercourse outside marriage is that those who indulge in it are trying to isolate one kind of union (the sexual) from all the other kinds of union which were intended to go along with it and make up the total union,” once wrote C.S. Lewis.

Jerry Seinfeld’s likening the allure of extramarital affairs to a wallet on a string that’s always just out of reach is absolutely correct. Given his reputation and good standing in the entertainment world, he could do a lot of his Hollywood friends and fans a huge favor and help them avoid future heartache by trumpeting that truth.

Extramarital affairs aren’t just the temptations of the cultural elites. Here at Focus on the Family, we regularly hear from couples embroiled in the throes of adultery. Every married couple is vulnerable because we’re all fallen and sinful people. Regret and resentment are always part of the ordeal. If you or a loved one find yourself in such a situation or seaso, please don’t hesitate to give us a call or reach out to us via email. There is help and hope just a click or phone call away.