Matthew 18:9, commentary and pictures

To pluck out the offending eye is not a call to harm the body, but a figure for cutting away something as dear and close as an eye when it causes sin. Whatever leads into sin, whether inherited or cultivated tendency, cherished habit, idea, or selfish scheme, must be decisively surrendered however painful the loss, for it is better to enter life with loss than to keep it and be cast into hell fire. It belongs to Christ's warning that offenses will come but woe to the one through whom they come, joined to the duty not to despise or harm those who believe in Him. The little ones who must not be caused to stumble are not children in years but weak and trembling believers in Christ, the special charge of angels who always behold the Father, so that injustice to them is the same as to Jesus Himself. The offending eye is thus an evil, self-exalting disposition of selfishness, harshness, unkindness and criticism that wounds others and corrupts the whole person, and causing such little ones to stumble by harshness, contempt or neglect brings grave judgment.

Setting in Matthew Eighteen

Matthew 18:9 belongs to Christ's warning that offenses will come, but woe rests upon the person through whom the offense comes, and in that setting the warning is joined to the duty not to despise or harm those who believe in Christ. It was spoken amid the disciples' dispute over rank and authority, and it forbids striving for supremacy, because greatness in Christ's spiritual kingdom consists in inward excellence and spiritual excellence manifested in true conversion rather than position, outward splendor, or authority. The instruction shows the principles His followers are to act on in every circumstance and in all cases and under all circumstances, and doing the wrongs pointed out in the chapter dishonors God and mars His cause.

The little ones who must not be despised or caused to stumble are not children in years but little children in Christ, weak and trembling souls with many defects of character. They are the special charge of angels who always behold the Father in heaven, so that injustice done to them is the same as done to Jesus Himself. The surrounding teaching stresses humility and the grave seriousness of causing a believer to stumble.

Matthew 18 is among the most positive instructions in all Scripture, given to all who claim to be disciples of the meek and lowly Jesus, showing the principles to act on in all cases and under all circumstances. It belongs to instruction that gives relief and courage and hope. The chapter directs thorough organization and correction in the church, for faults that threaten to corrupt the church must be corrected with the aim of saving the person from ruin. In this direction physicians who practice among the churches are to come fully under the supervision of the church as fully as the minister, and if they do not maintain strict integrity it is the duty of the church to labor with them according to the instruction of the law of God.

Matthew 18 condemns dissension, self-esteem, self-exaltation, and strife to be highly esteemed by men, with criticism and faultfinding shown to be expressly the work of the devil. That work is the same Satan began in the heavenly courts when he suggested a change in the government of God, gained sympathy and assent by deception, sowed suspicion and distrust of God and of one another, started strife, and caused rebellion that had to be met by God with the expulsion of Satan and the disloyal from heaven for the good of the loyal and true. The lesson must be studied and brought into practical life, for without practicing it no one will ever enter the kingdom of heaven.

The instruction is to be followed especially by those in positions of responsibility, who are to reject selfishness and set an example others can safely follow. It forbids despising one of the little ones and forbids a masterly spirit that lords it over God's heritage, which closes the gates of heaven to men, and it requires meeting humanity to seek the one gone astray and to uplift the degraded and fallen and outcast. Every individual must read the message from the lips of Christ to answer what he is doing while Christ and His angels are at work to bring men to repentance, requiring church members who have had light upon the truth to be converted and to cooperate with Christ in real ministerial service to win souls, enlighten the ignorant and relieve the oppressed, and not to remain disobedient to the truth and become workers for Satan to annoy and perplex those who are weak in the faith.

Meaning of Eye Imagery

The command to pluck out the eye is a figure for decisively cutting away anything in a person that leads into sin, even when it feels as much a part of them and as dear and precious as an eye, and entering life with that loss is better than keeping it and being cast into hell fire and everlasting destruction. The eye is used to show how serious the removal of a cause of sin must be, and it stands for an offending trait of character and for inherited or cultivated tendencies to wrong that must be cut away however painful the change, lest they remain and the whole person perish and be lost from life unto judgment. It is not a call to physical self-harm. Entering into life maimed rather than perishing whole represents surrendering the will and separating from sin, with hidden sin overcome through self-surrender to God, since clinging to sin and refusing God's will is choosing death because God's presence consumes sin and those who refuse to separate from it are consumed with it.

The eye can represent a critical, oppositional way of seeing that looks for things to criticize, which must be cast away at great personal cost rather than allowed to harm oneself or others, because entering into life is better than being cast into hell fire. The offending eye represents an evil disposition, including self-exalting sharpness and harsh, unfeeling treatment that hurts or discourages others, which must be given up to enter into life rather than clung to unto everlasting destruction. It also illustrates a cherished habit or practice that dishonors God and misleads others, which must be put away however great the sacrifice because sin brings death to the soul and keeping it means losing life. The same warning reaches a disciple's harshness or coldness toward someone Christ is drawing, which can turn that person from Christ and cost a soul.

The offending eye represents traits such as selfishness, covetousness, harshness, and unkindness that must be removed from the character decisively however painful the loss, for it is better to enter into life with less than to keep what leads to everlasting destruction in hell fire. These traits wound others and can lead a person to neglect those who need help, and if left in the life they corrupt the whole person and make a person offensive to God and lead away from life toward judgment. The eye and arm represent something precious that must be given up rather than retained at the cost of entering life, applied to a hard, unsympathetic, distrustful spirit that must be disconnected from a person and to cherished schemes and misuse of authority that must be renounced rather than allowed to injure others or cause a fellow believer to stumble.

The command is applied to abandoning wrong things however dear they may seem and to relinquishing cherished ideas, sentiments, and unsanctified personal ideas that a person insists everyone else must share, which should be given up rather than pressed on others to cause offense and lead oneself or others into sin and loss of eternal life. It is better to suffer the loss of a bodily member than to lead another person into sin, showing the seriousness of protecting others, such as students who might lead one another away from God, from being led in a wrong direction.

Requirement to Remove Sin

Anything that leads a person into sin must be decisively removed, even at great personal cost and however painful the loss may feel. It is better to enter into life with that loss than to keep what leads to sin and be cast into hell fire and everlasting destruction. What must be given up may feel as much a part of the person as an eye and as dear and precious as an eye, including cherished schemes, misuse of authority, a hard and unsympathetic spirit, and a critical, oppositional way of seeing that looks for things to criticize. Anything that stands in the way of surrender must be let go for the same reason.

The command to pluck out the eye is a figure for cutting away inherited or cultivated tendencies to wrong, and if those faults remain the whole person will perish, while giving them up is better than losing life. It is to a person's own interest to cast away whatever blocks surrender to Christ rather than lose eternal life. Sin must be treated as a grave danger bringing death to the soul and must not be left to remain unchecked. Clinging to sin and refusing God's will is choosing death, because God's presence consumes sin and those who refuse to separate from it are consumed with it. Faults that threaten to corrupt must therefore be corrected with the aim of saving the person from ruin, and a cherished habit or practice that dishonors God and misleads others must be put away however great the sacrifice.

Each person must take responsibility for cleansing his own thoughts and character rather than concentrating on faults in others, and this self-purification helps prevent reckless words and conduct that can lead others astray. All professed Christians must have the unsanctified element cleansed from the soul temple. That includes self-sufficiency and self interposed between the soul and God, perversity of spirit and disposition, and inward concealed strife for supremacy with manifest striving to be first. Such self and strife grieve the Saviour's Spirit and hinder the work, turning men who ought to be a blessing into a curse to retard instead of advance it, until they are cut away so the Lord can manifest His power and grace.

Offenses Against Fellow Believers

Causing another believer to stumble carries grave responsibility and brings judgment, so those who teach must live out Christ's instruction and be converted, for it is better to enter life with loss than to keep what leads to sin and be cast into hell fire. The warning of verses 7-14 centers especially on believing little ones who must not be caused to stumble. Offenses will come, but woe falls on the one through whom the offense comes, so whatever causes offense must be cut off and cast away.

The warning reaches those who selfishly neglect weak brethren or hold them in contempt, and those who are unforgiving and exacting, judging and condemning others until they are discouraged. Such harsh, unforgiving, judgmental and contemptuous conduct brings others into discouragement and places the offender himself under judgment. The little ones who must not be despised are not children in years but little children in Christ, weak and trembling souls with many defects of character who are the special charge of angels, so that injustice done to them is the same as done to Jesus Himself.

A disciple's harshness or coldness toward someone Christ is drawing can turn that person away from Christ and cost a soul, for cherished habits that dishonor God and mislead others bring death to the soul unless put away however great the sacrifice. Avoiding harm to a little one's faith outweighs holding on to anything regarded as necessary for success, and teachers should give up even important things rather than offend or damage the young.

Every person, and especially teachers, must cut away the harsh, angry, arbitrary spirit that shakes, bruises and forces children, though it feels as dear and natural as a right arm, hand, foot or eye and its removal feels like severing a limb. That spirit is satanic iron in the soul and must die and be put out of the heart and out of the church at whatever cost, replaced with love, tenderness and forbearance. Unless a person is converted to become as a little child and comes to God's ideas, plans and ways, bruising a child bruises his own soul more, destroys the child's manhood, offends believing little ones and leaves him under God's condemnation. Instead he is to receive children in Christ's name, place himself on the child's level, understand its trials, correct gently alone with prayer and talk, and seek and save that which is lost.

As part of the instruction in Matthew 18 setting forth God's will about how to treat His children, harshness, lack of courtesy, and severe, dictatorial dealing with brethren in the sacred work must be put away. This condemns exasperating brethren until they lose confidence, wounding and bruising souls, and acting with self-superiority and a hard, cruel spirit. It requires transformation in spirit, loving one's neighbor as oneself, and showing mercy, kindness and courtesy in order to represent Jesus Christ and be fit to handle sacred things.

The instruction speaks directly to lack of love among believers, for God does not desire any man to draw apart from his brethren. It condemns the strong desire to hinder and repress one who is doing a good work, accusing one another, wanting a worker in higher office removed from his position, thinking and speaking evil, and devising plans to separate brethren.

Changed Life and Service

The verse belongs to the instruction of the whole eighteenth chapter of Matthew that gives relief and courage and hope, and it directs the sinner to go forward in faith and take the case to the Lord Jesus in prayer. The sinner is to believe that He hears, to confess sins and repent and walk humbly with God to find pardon. The Lord's correction is to be received as purifying and saving.

Anything leading a person into sin must be decisively put away, for entering into life is better than keeping what leads to ruin. Following Jesus closely requires thorough conversion, humility before God, turning the mind away from self, singleness of purpose, and purity of motive. That following is shown in sympathy and love to others, especially through personal effort for those outside Christ.

Christ's work is to save that which is lost, and His followers must do the same work with compassion, earnest labor, and persevering effort. They are to use their God-given talents to save sinners rather than serving only saints, to meet humanity to seek the one gone astray and to uplift the degraded and fallen and outcast. Offenses will come, but woe comes to the one by whom the offense comes, so whatever causes offense must be cut off and cast away, for it is better to enter into life maimed than to be cast into hell fire. That warning falls on those who selfishly neglect or hold in contempt their weak brethren, and on those who are unforgiving and exacting, judging and condemning others and so discouraging them. The little ones who must not be despised are not children in years but little children in Christ, weak and trembling souls with many defects of character who are the special charge of angels, and injustice done to them is the same as done to Jesus Himself. The lesson forbids despising one of the little ones and forbids a masterly spirit that lords it over God's heritage, which closes the gates of heaven to men, and it must be studied and brought into practical life, for without practicing it no one will ever enter the kingdom of heaven.

The verse calls for self-reform first, for unity as branches under the one head Christ Jesus, and for sanctified ears and eyes and tongues that act as brethren. Those words are high and holy principles for daily practical life and must be put into daily practice. Applied, this requires perfect love and compassion, deeds of compassion, tenderness and love, deep interest in youth with earnest prayer, and educating and training youth as the property of Jesus Christ.

The verse means taking oneself in hand and reprimanding oneself by the discipline of the Word, as a learner in the school of Christ. It means daily humbling oneself before God and overcoming entertained temptations and a selfish, unholy spirit. Self is to be kept under the great Teacher's control and the Bible's teachings are to be practiced, for this is Christ's instruction for how His work is to be done. In this way a person becomes right and competent to handle sacred things and to enter upon work in ministering the Word.