What is causing you to sin? Get rid of it.

Matthew 5:29 (NIV)

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. 

Several books have been published on the difficult statements of Christ.  In fact, much of what Jesus said as recorded in the gospels can be very difficult to interpret.  Victor Kuligin published a 2006 book entitled “Ten Things I Wish Jesus Never Said”.  You can do a Google search and find many books published on the subject of the difficult statements of Christ.  Examples include not bringing peace but a sword (Matt 10:34), moving mountains (Matt 17:20), camel through the eye of a needle (Matt 19:24), loving your enemies (Luke 6:27), hating your father and mother (Luke 14:26), giving up everything (Luke 14:33) and many, many others.  This verse from Matthew 5:29—Jesus also made a similar statement in Matthew 18:9 (repeated in Mark 9:43-47)—might be at the top of the list of Jesus’ most difficult statements to interpret.

Let’s assume that you are someone addicted to pornography or addicted to materialism where your eyes cause you to sin.  According to this passage, you should gouge out at least one of your eyes and throw it away so that you will be less likely to sin with your eyes and you will be more assured of being saved from being thrown into hell.  Is this what Jesus really wants you to do? 

I’ve been taught that you should take the Bible as literally as possible until you absolutely cannot.  There are parts of the Bible that use figurative language called hyperbole. Hyperbole is using exaggerated language to make a valid point, like “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse”, or “she sleeps like a log”, or “I’ve told you a million times not to do that”.  We use hyperboles to exaggerate  how tired we are, how old someone is, how busy life is, etc.  

Jesus is using hyperbole here (and elsewhere in His teaching) to contrast the importance of the kingdom of God and eternal life compared to physical or temporal actions.  Anything in your life, including how you use your body, keeping you from obeying Jesus, needs to be eliminated immediately. Rigid discipline is required.  You must do whatever you can to avoid sin at all costs (but hopefully short of gouging out your eye or cutting off your hand).

While most readers focus the part of this verse that speaks of gouging out your eye, the part that tends to get ignored is the part about being thrown into hell.  God hates sin and those who do not do all they can to stop the sin in their lives risk being thrown into hell after they die.  God does not want that (II Peter 3:9) and so uses strong hyperbolic language to help readers understand His main message.

Is there any part of your body that keeps committing sin?  You must deal with it.  The Lord says so.........