Monday, November 22, 2010

Plucking Out Eyes

In the middle of Jesus’ discourse about children, he apparently interrupts himself to say, “If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire” (Mathew 18:8-9).

He immediately goes back to talking about children. Why did he change subjects so quickly, only to return to children in the next breath?

It is not as it appears. When he talked about cutting off arms and plucking out eyes, he was talking about the severity of his wrath against those who purposely harm children. Children are harmed when people place greater value on their own lusts or desires than on the welfare of children.