Gospel of Matthew Chapter 5 Vs. 29

 

Verses 29-30: The statement of cutting off one’s hand or plucking out one’s eye definitely is not to be taken literally. What Jesus implies is that if “thy right eye offend thee,” then the logical thing to do would be to “pluck it out.” His point is not that one should literally pluck out his eye, but that one should recognize that the source of lust comes from within the mind and heart of man, not from the physical organ itself.

The right eye is not the source of sin; the heart of man is that source. The seriousness of the sin of lusting is thus illustrated by this graphic comparison. Ultimately, it would be better for a person to be physically maimed than to go to hell forever.

However, doing physical damage to oneself doesn’t in any way guarantee entrance into heaven. Jesus is simply teaching that man must bring the passions of his heart under the control of the Spirit of God.

Lust

Matthew 5:29 “And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast [it] from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not [that] thy whole body should be cast into hell.”

eye offend thee... To cause a moral fall and loss of the soul by some means.

pluck it out... Nothing is gained by changing the literal meaning. Jesus was not advocating self-mutilation (for this would not in fact cure lust, which is actually a problem of the heart). He was using this graphic hyperbole to demonstrate the seriousness of sins of lust and evil desire.

it is profitable... Giving the reason why one should get rid of the offending member. Would it not be more profitable to do this literally than to have all members cast into eternal hell? Jesus is simply emphasizing the terribleness of eternal hell. There is a better method than this provided by the gospel. If one will become a new creature in Christ by the new birth this problem of sinful members will be solved (2Cor. 5:17-18; Gal. 5:16-26; Rom. 6:16-23; 8:1-13; 1Jhn. 1:7; 2:29; 3:6-10; 5:1-5, 5:18). See Mat. 18:8-9.

whole body should... Used twice of the whole body going to hell (Mat. 5:29-30; 10:28; Luke 12:5; Rev. 20:11-15).

The point is that it would be “better” (verse 30), to lose a member of one’s own body that to bear the eternal consequences of the guilt from such a sin. Sin must be dealt with drastically because of its deadly effects.

Jesus’ words recorded in Mat. 5:29-30 have often been misunderstood. Obviously Jesus was not teaching physical mutilation, for a blind man could have as much of a problem with lust as a sighted person, and a man with only one hand might use it also to sin. Jesus was advocating the removal of the inward cause of offense.