Monday, March 29, 2010

Dismemberment

Jesus at times used shock therapy to bring people to attention. A passage in Mathew five is an excellent example when he says, “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you: for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell” (Mathew 5:29-30).

Jesus is not advocating bodily dismemberment any more than he was advocating cannibalism in John six. His words make it clear that separating ourselves from temptation can be painful. He had just told his listeners “whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his hears.” Immediately following his comments on adultery of the heart he addresses divorce and remarriage. The body dismemberment passage is sandwiched between these two warnings. Therefore I believe they are one and the same point.

Jesus’ words acknowledge that we may have become extremely attached to a temptation, in this case a person who is not our spouse. No matter how difficult it is the relationship between us and the other person must be cut off. It may feel like our arm is severed or our eye plucked out, but it is worth our eternal salvation to cut out of our lives that which has the ability to dam us to hell.