I have to do WHAT?

Did Jesus really tell us to cut off our hands or gouge out our eyes? The Bible can teach some hard things, but this is too much. Before this discussion goes any further, that part of the Sermon on the Mount should NOT be taken literally.

In the famous sermon, Jesus says, “If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” That’s unexpected enough, but He doubles down.

The struggling with sin does get exhausting, doesn't it?

“And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.”

I hope it brings you some comfort to know that Jesus does not want you to disfigure yourself, okay? Gotquestions.org says you do not have to mutilate your body because of sin. Rather, Jesus says we should be prepared to make exceptional sacrifices to avoid sin if we want to follow Him.

We have to understand a little bit of the context to interpret the statement. Jesus was using a figure of speech called a hyperbole, which is an obvious overstatement or exaggeration to make a point. Rabbis often used hyperbole when they preached to the people to help drive home a specific point.

Hyperbole comes from a Greek word that means “excess or exaggeration.”

In a modern context, a hyperbole would be a statement like “these groceries weigh a ton.” Or how about “everybody knows that.” “I’ve been waiting forever.”  

If you need more proof that the statements aren’t to be taken literally, Randy Alcorn’s Eternal Perspective Ministries blog makes an interesting point.  What Jesus recommended we do to avoid sin really wouldn’t solve the problem. If you put out your right eye, your left eye can still incite you to lust. If you put out the other eye, you can still lust in your heart and mind.

If you cut off your right hand, you can still steal with your left. Clearly, the parts of your body are not what cause you to sin.

Randy Alcorn said it this way: “I think Jesus is simply saying be radical. Take whatever steps are necessary to keep yourself away from the temptation to sin and follow Me with all your heart.”

The Bible does teach some challenging things, but the answers are there with a little research.

Sin is clearly a heart issue. That’s where sin begins, and that’s why Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” If sin is dominating your heart, that’s where sinful behavior begins. But if Jesus sits on the throne of your heart, that’s where you decide to honor Him in everything you do.

What steps are you willing to take to avoid sin running your life? Look at it this way: Randy Alcorn says to think of the hand as the things we do, while the eye represents what we see. “Deal radically with what you expose your eyes to. Deal radically with what you handle and do, the places you go, and what you touch,” Alcorn says.

Hermeneutics.stackexchange.com says “Pluck out the eye means stop contemplating things that tempt you. And for the hand, stop doing things that bring on temptation.”

What are you willing to do to avoid the sin that plagues you (and all of us)?

If you struggle with pornography, are you willing to disconnect from the internet? Are you willing to say no to invitations to drink and hit a strip joint? I struggled hard with that for a long time. I’m here to tell you firsthand that living without that kind of sin is mentally, spiritually, and even physically a blessing.

Ready to follow Jesus with all your heart? He never said it would be easy and without sacrifice. He did say it would be worth it.

"But as it is written; Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9