3729 — Removing Stumbling-Blocks
By Editor
The scripture in the American Revised Version reads as follows: "And if thy hand or thy foot causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life maimed or halt, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire. And if thine eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire." Our Lord is in the strongest possible way teaching us that anything whatsoever we may possess, however dear it may be, should not be retained at the loss of eternal life. There may be things in our lives, habits which we have, professions which we follow, avocations which we pursue, that seem to be as dear to us as the right hand or the right eye; but if they turn us from God's path, cut them out and let them go. Of course the world would say we are crippling ourselves; but in the language used by our Lord, it is better to enter into life with but one eye, than to be destroyed with two. We would not understand that our Lord desires one to maim himself, to cut off a hand or a foot, or to put out an eye; but if it were necessary, in order that we should not stumble, to remove one of these members, better that than the loss of eternal life.