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. (Matthew 5:29 ESV)

For one to mutualize one’s body in such a way, today, is pretty much unheard of. However, maybe we should consider the import of this scripture a bit more. Not from the sense of actually doing harm, but from the sense of just how much harm we do to ourselves in sinning.

We must remember, people need a strong message. There is, of course, a line that should not be crossed, but people just do not listen to kind words. They often need a graphic analogy for the message to sink in. Such is the case with our scripture today. It is a graphic representation of the depths of sin in our lives. It can permeate to our very body.

Thus, we need to metaphorically sever ourselves from our sin as one would do in removing a body part. We must cast aside anything that would make us sin in our actions. We cannot go on allowing some aspect of our life drag us down into hell.

Luckily, Jesus has removed our sin as far as the east is from the west. Now, we must sever ourselves from sin and live in wholeness.