I have always struggled with this illustration that Jesus gives regarding the removal of body parts. I mean, seriously Lord?
Matthew 5:30 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
30 If your right-hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.
I think at this point during his Sermon on the Mount he was kind of fired up. These were inspired words he was speaking as it does not appear to me that he had planned this sermon in advance (Matthew 5:1-2). He was obviously aware of how people were managing their lives and felt the need to call them out kind of harshly on their actions. Jesus is the master of metaphors, which I can appreciate. He did later suggest that a camel would more easily fit through the eye of a needle than a rich man would enter the Kingdom of God (Matthew 19:24).
Sin is cancer and I believe that Jesus was suggesting we cut away what is infected before it infects the entire body. When I go to the gym, I don’t pluck out my eyes to prevent my eyes from wandering, I simply take off my glasses. God gave me less than stellar vision so I could simply take my glasses off rather than tearing out part of my face. Does God want me to cut off my hand to prevent sin? Not at all, but he does want me to cut away anything that might cause my hands to sin. That can actually require a lot of cutting to get to the root causes of my sin.
So if we are not actually supposed to maim our bodies physically to grow closer to God, what should we do? I believe that Jesus was telling us that cutting away adulterous sin is going to be painful. Perhaps as painful as plucking out an eye or cutting off your hand, especially if the sin has infected the heart. In 1 Corinthians 6:18 Paul tells us that sexual sin is a sin against the body where all other sin is a sin committed outside of the body. This is why adulterous sin is so painful to deal with. Jesus was foreshadowing here by referencing the pain. It was obvious to him that these people were not aware of how their actions were affecting their souls.
The path the heal from adulterous sin is tough and many do not make it. Jesus knew this which is why he was so blunt.
What are your thoughts on Matthew 5:30?
