Look for the spirit of what he was getting at. However a clue that it wasn't literal is the fact that cutting out one eye wouldn't keep you from seeing whatever the offending image was.
I agree there was another situation when he taught them to eat his flesh and drink his blood some took him literally and departed because they took it as he was teaching then to literally eat his flesh and drink his blood So they thought we’ll this is too hard a teaching we can’t accept it and parted Jesus answers like this
“
He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
…
Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it,
he said unto them, Doth this offend you? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing:
the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
From that time
many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”
John 6:56, 60-61, 63, 66
I agree with what you said we need to look for the spirit and lessons he’s teaching us in his word