C
thanks for that unity, living.
About the cutting off the hand thing, I don't know of anyone in history who has ever done it (though I'm sure there must be one or two out there) but I do feel there is a fairly strong case for taking it literally.
I think most people would probably reason that it's not really the hand or the eye that causes the offence in itself, but the mind.
However, I think what Jesus is trying to indicate here is the seriousness of being right with God. In fact, he is so serious about it he makes the bold claim that being right with God is more important than your own body.
It really IS better to cut off some part of your body than to continue in sin, the idea being that such a discipline will definitely sort you out.
For example, if you had some particular temptation you were facing, with the understanding that if you act on that temptation you will lose your eye, surely you would think much more seriously before acting on that temptation.
Most of us do not walk around with a knife in our pocket on that understanding, but perhaps we should!!!
About the cutting off the hand thing, I don't know of anyone in history who has ever done it (though I'm sure there must be one or two out there) but I do feel there is a fairly strong case for taking it literally.
I think most people would probably reason that it's not really the hand or the eye that causes the offence in itself, but the mind.
However, I think what Jesus is trying to indicate here is the seriousness of being right with God. In fact, he is so serious about it he makes the bold claim that being right with God is more important than your own body.
It really IS better to cut off some part of your body than to continue in sin, the idea being that such a discipline will definitely sort you out.
For example, if you had some particular temptation you were facing, with the understanding that if you act on that temptation you will lose your eye, surely you would think much more seriously before acting on that temptation.
Most of us do not walk around with a knife in our pocket on that understanding, but perhaps we should!!!