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We are continuing our series on the teachings of Jesus that shocked his listeners. This week we are expanding our category to include teachings that, if taken out of context, can shock readers and result in misinterpretation. Let's look at Jesus' startling statement in Matthew 5:29-30:

"If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell."

Shocking, isn't it? If we were to take this passage literally we might conclude that Jesus is teaching that bodily mutations would help curb the amount of sin you commit. This misinterpretation would lead to another erroneous conclusion that change takes place from the outside in rather than the inside out. In actuality, both misinterpretations would contradict what Jesus really said in the previous verses!

Let's pause and look at sin a moment. The Bible teaches that while sin may seem pleasurable initially, the pleasure lasts only for a season. Sin may taste good, but the aftertaste will make you sick! Another way of looking at it is, "sin takes you further than you want go, keeps you longer than you want to stay, and costs you more than you can ever afford." So let's dig a little deeper to understand what Jesus is telling us in Matthew 5:29-30 about sinfulness in our lives.

To properly understand the Bible we need to interpret it not only in its context, but also in the culture in which it is written. In Middle Eastern culture the right part of the body, such as the right eye or the right hand, is seen as the most valuable. (There was a time even in the western world when those who wrote with their left hand were required to change to the right!) Remember that God the Father says of the Son that Jesus would sit at the "right" hand of His throne? The "right" is very significant here.

Re-reading Matthew 5:29-30 we see that Jesus makes a double emphasis. If someone is going to rid himself of his right eye or right hand it means he must be willing to lose (not literally) a most important part of his body.

Jesus uses a figurative emphasis to suggest that one take drastic measures to "cut off" or discontinue sin in his life. Jesus teaches not to tolerate sin, but to cut it out of your life lest something worse happens.

The idea is that one must deal immediately and decisively with sin. It is also interesting to note that the sin of the eye and the hand is what leads into the sexual sin of adultery that Jesus mentioned in the previous verses. These are two parts of the body that need to be severely disciplined in order to prevent further issues from taking place.

As drastic as the gouging or amputation imagery is, Jesus suggests that you do whatever is needed to stop the sin that seems so important to you; stop it now, don't wait, don't try to justify it.

In fact, to figuratively lose your "right eye" or "right hand" is better than continuing to do the wrong thing! If you don't move to stop the sin that you are doing or if you make no attempt to stop looking at the temptation that you are seeing, then every part of you will be subject to judgment. Sin consumes and takes the whole person hostage. Jesus teaches that it is better to follow Him no matter what the sacrifice. The thing that brings you satisfaction may be the very thing that is presently ruining your life, and will ruin it in the future to a far greater degree.

What are you tolerating in your life? What sin are you so accustomed to committing that it seems to be an intricate part of you? Jesus wants you to "cut off" the sin in your life. Because sin is really in the heart, amputation of a body part is not what Jesus is meaning in Matthew 5:29-30. If you rid yourself of your right eye, for example, you would sin with your left; if you lose both eyes, you will still sin in your mind.

Jesus tells us to take drastic measures to stop falling deeper and deeper into sin. We need a change of heart because spiritual change is always from the inside, out. So what's holding you up from committing your life to Jesus? Nothing is more important than following Him.

Pastor Gary C. Simons serves as Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Bible Fellowship, 82 Church Street, Hamilton, Bermuda

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