Cut Off Your Hands and Feet; Gouge Out Your Eyes!

Jesus gives some very hard words at times. Jesus said that you should cut off your hands and feet if they caused you to sin. He said you should gouge out your eyes if they caused you to sin. Many people would be blind and crippled if they were to be taken literally. We must understand what He was really saying if we are to live our lives in accordance with His will.

This passage is a parable rather than a simple command. He was not telling us to cut off our hand and feet and gouge out our eyes. Jesus was telling us that sin is very serious. It is so serious that it can keep you from His kingdom. It can be enjoyable for a time but it will not be precious at the time of judgment. It will keep you away from Him. 

People should always know that they can't sin and walk with Jesus. Not every sin affects every person. Some will be affected by sins of the physical body. Others will be affected by sins of possessions. Still others will be affected by the sin of pride. These sins are subtle but deadly. They will keep a person from Christ.

I once talked with a young man about his relationship with Christ. He told me that he wanted Jesus as his Savior and Lord. He bowed his head to say the "sinners prayer" which would make his commitment to Christ. He stopped short. When I asked why he said, "My girlfriend and I are living together. I'm afraid she would move out on me if I do this."

I couldn't tell him that he would be wrong. I didn't know. I know that Christ does amazing things in a person's life. I know that He changes desires and purpose in that person. I did not tell this young man that he was going to have to clean up his life before he came to Christ but he understood what it was to commit your life to Christ. A Christian should do what Christ wants always. He wasn't ready to make his relationship with his girlfriend right. So, he gave up his eternal life with Christ for a temporary life with her.

This is exactly what Christ was saying when He said we should cut off parts of our bodies. We cannot walk in sin and go with Him. Sin will keep us away from Him. We must get rid of that sin if we are to know Him. We must deal with it radically.

Many people try to keep sin quiet rather than eliminate it. They will promise to cut back or will say that they will keep the sin around for another reason. They will keep the movie channel on which they have seen pornography rather than cancel it. They will promise themselves that they will not watch those movies which have this material but late at night they fall back into the trap. Their only solution is to cancel the channel. Until then, they are not really serious about the elimination of sin.

It seem silly to say that it is better to enter heaven crippled and blind rather than to go to hell intact. Again, Jesus was making a very serious point. Living a life that will satisfy the things of this world will result in our destruction. The things of this world are temporary. Heaven is eternal. It is silly to exchange the eternal for the temporary.

Get rid of the sins keeping you from Christ. It's serious. It is a complete commitment.  It results in being with Jesus.