Jesus didn’t mean it! Well, actually he meant it, he just meant it metaphorically. Speaking about lust in Matthew chapter 5, Jesus says that whatever causes you to sin should be “cut off.” He meant it…but metaphorically. Jesus isn’t really into the whole self-mutilation thing. There was one theologian in the Early Church who thought Jesus meant it literally and he took two rocks and…well, let’s not go there. The point here is that Jesus takes sin seriously enough to use a pretty wild metaphor. And if we are going to fight sin then we have to be willing to take wild steps to remove temptation from our lives.
Sin, of course, does not start as an action. It starts in the heart of a person long before it reaches the stage of physical manifestation. All sin is a heart issue that must be addressed if we are ever going to actually “put sin to death.” But if we are even going to have a chance of focusing on the internal issues, I believe we must do all we can to put away temptation. I believe that means cutting off whatever is causing us to sin. Let’s look at what Jesus says regarding this subject first and then talk about some practical application for us as Christians in the realm of sexual temptation.
In Matthew chapter 5 Jesus discusses the issue of lust. He talks about lust as equivalent to adultery in God’s eyes, and talks about the seriousness with which he takes the subject. He takes lust so seriously that he thinks it is better for you to take drastic action against sin then to continue entertaining it. He says:
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. (Matthew 5:27-30)
What does Jesus mean when he calls us to cut out eyes and cut off hands? Most of us gather that Jesus isn’t into self-mutilation, but what then is he asking of us?
In ancient Semitic culture the right eye and the right hand had specific meanings. The right eye refered to what a person most desired. That one thing that you want more than anything else, that something that you absolutely love could be associated with a person’s right eye. There was a connection between wanting it and looking at it, longing for it. Here Jesus says, whatever it is, no matter how valuable to you, no matter how much you want it, if it is causing you to sin cut it out of your life!
The right hand was often associated with what was most useful. It was a reference to something that was practical, that you used often, that was in some way shape or form necessary for your functioning. But here again, Jesus says there is nothing that is so useful to you that if it causes you to sin you shouldn’t cut off. At the most fundamental level, Jesus is arguing here there is nothing worth keeping that causes you to sin.
Practically in the realm of sexuality this can play out in any number of ways. If you are in a relationship in which you are unable to keep your hands off of each other, it may mean ending that relationship. If you can’t control your response to certain films or televisions shows, then you need to stop watching them. I had a friend in college who was so fed up with his viewing of pornography that one night he opened his bedroom window and chucked his computer to the ground outside. It shattered into hundreds of pieces. He lamented about having to walk across campus just to check his e-mail, but he was thrilled to not have the immediate temptation in his bedroom anymore. Maybe some of you need to do the same thing with your computer, iPhone, Android, etc. Nothing is worth keeping if it causes you to sin against Jesus.
That’s a decision you have to make, though. Is having an iPad worth offending the God of the universe? Wouldn’t it be better to cut off your Internet than for you whole body to enter into the judgment of God? It’s not that stopping the access to porn, or removing an unhealthy relationship from your life deals with the root issue of sin. There is still a sinful heart that needs transformed. Lust is an internal matter, with external manifestations. But if we don’t attempt to cut off the temptations and limit the accessibility to sin in our lives, then we may never be able to focus on what’s going on in our hearts. The more you indulge in a sin the harder it is to break the habit. So we want to cut it off now, in hopes of turning away from it fully eventually.
Cut if off. It may not be a literal expression of physical mutilation, but Jesus did mean for us to take drastic action against our sin. There is nothing you have, nothing you love, nothing you need, that is worth your continual sinning against Jesus. Get rid of it today and seek to address what’s going on in your heart.
Sparrow & Heart Soul Care 