Matthew 5:29, commentary and pictures

If the right eye or right hand causes offense, it stands for anything cherished, precious and seemingly essential to happiness — a valued indulgence, habit, inclination or favorite vice — and plucking it out does not mean literal bodily harm but decisive, complete separation from sin with no compromise. It is profitable that one member perish rather than the whole body be cast into hell, just as a person would sacrifice a part to save the body from death, because eternal life is worth the pain and cost of renouncing sin to save the soul from death. Whatever causes the soul to stumble must be sacrificed, for God's aim is not only deliverance from the suffering sin brings but salvation from sin itself, until the corrupted soul is purified, transformed and conformed to the image of His Son. This demands giving up even one cherished sin, for retaining what has brought the soul into bondage prevents spiritual advance, gives Satan a snare, and makes living faith ineffective while self remains uncrucified. The same cutting away applies to the all-absorbing love of money and dishonest gain, to pride, sensuality, selfish ambition and a harsh spirit, and to the false-seeing eye that supposes neglect and cherishes grievances against brethren, all of which must be rooted out to keep fellowship with Christ and enter life.

Sermon Setting and Purpose

Matthew 5 lays out in figures the plan to be studied and acted upon for revealing the likeness of Christ and glorifying God in body and spirit, which are His, through a deep, strong, true union with Him in which the heart is filled with His grace and His will controls. This precious instruction is the science of spiritual life, to be read and written upon the tablets of the soul. It is Christ's clear, definite expression of His will, making known true doctrine to all who will to do the will of God.

That chapter reveals the divine virtues to be brought constantly into life in words, attitude, and actions, presenting Christ as altogether lovely. It should be dwelt upon often to lift the church from its low grade, to see and correct existing evils, and to do all the cause and work of God without spot or wrinkle. Part of that correcting work is to put away unkindness, retaliation, strife, and many words that separate friends. Its lessons are what Christ's disciples must learn and obey in order to live in unity, love, and Christian fellowship rather than accusing, finding fault with, and speaking evil of one another.

Failure to follow that teaching brings condemnation, for Christ's instruction is meant to form Christlike character and shape the way His followers treat one another. The verse stands in the Sermon on the Mount, in which Christ teaches the conditions of entrance into God's kingdom. The principles given there are meant to correct false ideas about that kingdom.

On the mount Christ defines the law and reveals its far-reaching claims, showing the truth concerning the laws of God's government. The law is not a cold code of outward demands or human traditions but God's enduring standard of righteousness, teaching its true meaning and demanding perfect obedience while condemning every evil action. Its claims require the spirit of the law in the heart, because the state of the heart regulates life and character, so teaching the law must impress this inward heart principle or the labor is lost.

That pure gospel explanation of God's law calls for a cleansing and purging of the soul and warns of the peril of continuing in disobedience to His commandments. Business dealings that wrong a neighbor fail its holy standard. The Sermon on the Mount in which this stands opposed the self-righteous doctrines of the scribes and Pharisees and challenged their misrepresentation of God as a stern judge without compassion, mercy, or love.

Failing to walk in the light God has given separates people from Him and brings darkness in proportion to the light neglected. The lessons of Christ's Sermon on the Mount are to be shown in daily life. Living these lessons makes a deeper and more lasting impression than preaching them.

Meaning of the Imagery

The right eye or right hand stands for anything cherished, precious, valued and dear, even what seems useful or essential to happiness. It means a valued indulgence, habit, practice, inclination, idol or favorite vice that leads into sin or hinders a faithful religious life and spiritual progress. Such a thing must be renounced and decisively put away however precious it may seem, rather than allowed to bring the person to ruin. One cherished sin is enough to dishonor Christ, degrade character and mislead others, so the call is to put away every habit or practice that leads into sin.

The eye and hand are also figures for earthly obstacles that come between the soul and God. They represent purposes and plans, human plans, self-confidence, human wisdom and self-sufficiency. What is precious or desirable in that kind must be given up and completely severed when it conflicts with God's purposes, for the spiritual health of the person and for the good of His cause, so that people may become Christlike. Paths chosen merely to please self lead away from Christ.

Plucking out the eye and cutting off the hand do not call for literal bodily mutilation or harming the body, but picture decisive, complete separation from sin. No concession or compromise is to be made to evil habits or sinful practices; there is to be severing to the last thread. The plucking out represents surrender of the will, because it is through the will that sin retains its hold, and it requires humbling of self before God. Recognizing sin is not forsaking it, for merely speaking truth or making religious efforts, outward grief or zeal, is worthless while self remains uncrucified; what is needed is a real inward change of mind and character, with truth entering the heart through the Holy Spirit to bring thoughts and affections into submission to God, which is true repentance turning the heart from sin to God. Retaining cherished sins gives Satan a snare and keeps a person from being acceptable before God.

Surrendering the will to God and giving up what is as dear as sight or strength often feels like consenting to go through life maimed, wounded or crippled. Confronting and forsaking what is wrong, acknowledging it rather than defending it, can be as painful as losing a right eye. Faith is intelligent and service requires soberness, thoughtfulness and decided purpose to obey all requirements even at such cost. What looks like disaster is the door to highest benefit.

It is profitable and better that one member should perish than that the whole body should be cast into hell. Just as a person would sacrifice a body part to save the body from death, sin must be removed to save the soul from death, since preserving the whole person from destruction matters more than keeping any part. Eternal life is worth more than any part of the body and worth the effort, sacrifice and intelligent counting of the cost required to renounce sin, with conscientious weighing of evidence and deep thought about what is gained or lost.

Call to Renounce Sin

Whatever causes the soul to stumble must be sacrificed to reach the high ideal God intends, which is not merely deliverance from the suffering that results from sin but salvation from sin itself. That salvation is redemption from Satan's degradation and slavery to share the glorious liberty of the sons of God, until the corrupted soul is purified and transformed, clothed in the beauty of the Lord and conformed to the image of His Son to a glorious destiny eternity alone will reveal. The warfare between good and evil has not grown less fierce and the path to heaven is no smoother, because self battles fiercely for supremacy. Obeying the verse therefore requires renouncing human wisdom and self-righteousness, sacrificing the approbation of men, receiving the kingdom as a little child, and welcoming and cooperating with the Holy Spirit's aid with efforts and sacrifices proportionate to the infinite value of eternal life.

Even one cherished sin is not a trifling matter before God, but must be cut out of the heart and overcome at whatever sacrifice and however great the personal cost. Such a sin can degrade character, dishonor Christ and mislead others, since sin brings death to the soul and the need to put it away is greater than the need to remove a body part to save the body from death. A disciple's harshness toward someone Christ is drawing can turn that person away and cause the loss of a soul. Hidden depravity in the heart must be carefully examined and rooted out, so the soul may be purified by obeying the truth and hiding self in God. This calls for true faithfulness amid abounding iniquity and the perils of the last days, with watchfulness, prayer, repentance and readiness for the coming of the Son of Man at an unexpected hour, especially in the danger that comes when prosperity seems to crown efforts.

Retaining a cherished sin or sensual indulgence that has brought the soul into bondage prevents spiritual advancement and makes living faith ineffective, while putting it away allows the soul to draw near to God. Retaining such sins gives Satan a snare and is incompatible with true repentance, which turns the heart from sin to God. Recognizing sin is not the same as forsaking it, for a real change of mind and character is required; merely speaking the truth or making religious efforts, and outward grief or religious zeal, are worthless while self remains uncrucified. Following Christ requires complete self-surrender and obedience, with thorough reform and holding to a straight testimony even when doing so cuts off something valued or useful. Giving up what would corrupt the person and ruin the whole life is necessary for salvation, and eternal life is worth this lifelong persevering effort to make calling and election sure and go onward and upward without rolling backward.

Cherished idols, favorite vices formed in the character, and indulged sins must be decisively given up, even when doing so is as painful as losing an eye or a hand, and even things thought essential to happiness must be surrendered rather than continuing in sin and losing fellowship with Christ. Nothing should be allowed to keep a person from entering life. This severe removal of the cause of offense is necessary in preparation for eternal life and to avoid being found wanting in the day of God, calling for earnest action to avoid sin and its ruin, not excuses or half-hearted effort.

Specific Applications to Life

The all-absorbing love of money must be rooted out as completely as plucking out the right eye, for if it is not overcome it will cost salvation. Parting with money can be like losing a right eye or right arm, and giving up loved money, especially gain not honestly gotten, with restitution where anyone was wronged, feels that painful, yet it is the only hope of pardoning love. When that painful cutting away begins and wrongs are restored as they come to mind, redeeming the time, there is hope; but refusal to redeem the past makes repeated efforts fail through love of money, and going on as before leaves the case hopeless, with loss of both worlds, thrust out while the saints are glorified in the heavenly city, having no part in the life purchased at infinite cost but sold for earthly riches.

Systematic giving for charitable purposes and benevolence to support spreading the truth can feel to the selfish heart like losing a right arm or plucking out a right eye, even when the offering is small. The loss of an eye or limb shows that something deeply valued may have to be given up rather than allowed to bring ruin, illustrating the sacrifice required to overcome selfishness and selfish attachment to possessions. Generous people find the demands small, while those whose possessions bind them find giving difficult.

Evil propensities, even when cherished as precious as the right hand or the right eye, must be separated and cut away, or the person cannot be acceptable before God. This calls for decisive rejection of sin, not literal bodily mutilation, requiring putting on the Lord Jesus Christ and making no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts, taking Christ for wisdom, sanctification and redemption in order to represent His religion. Persisting in imperfections of character, gratifying selfish propensities, doing only what agrees with taste and ideas, making provision for pride and sensuality, carrying out selfish ambitions and plans, and remaining full of self-esteem violates this standard. For workers and shepherds in sacred service, pride, sensuality and selfish ambition must be put away to faithfully represent Christ, and thorough examination with full proof of entire dedication without reservation is required before ordaining men to ministry, since retaining such workers lowers the standard.

The right eye to be plucked out is the eye that discerns things in a false light toward brethren — supposing neglect, abuse, slighting, and a purpose to place one in a hard and trying position, bearing false witness in the heart against a brother, feeling abused and slighted, and treating thwarted will and changed plans as designed harm. The right arm to be cut off is cherishing grievances, rehearsing thwarted plans, keeping grievances fresh, going over the same things, harassing one's own life and making oneself miserable with reflections that are Satan's insinuations, cutting and bruising one's own soul, blaming brethren for that misery, and bringing unhappiness on oneself and loved ones. Instead one must refuse that suspicious, complaining habit, quell the inclination to feel abused, look past the brother to Jesus, receive His likeness, and keep a single eye to His glory, which brings confidence in brethren and acceptance of God's will through pain and self-sacrifice. One must trust the heavenly Father as a child trusts a parent, give thanks in everything seeing good in everything, stop fretting and cease to worry, knowing God has one under special care and will work all things for good and for sanctification, secure in His hands as His property by creation and by redemption.

Applied to anger and self-assertion, whatever leads to sin must be removed even at great cost by putting self to death so Christ may live within, which is the necessary work of conversion, not a partial change. Applied to character-building, harmful traits must be removed as decisively as an offending eye would be cast away, however painful or precious they seem, requiring close attention and painful separation. Selfishness, covetousness which is idolatry, and a harsh unkind spirit must be taken out, because otherwise they corrupt the whole person, defile character, destroy influence for good, and wound or destroy others, while the Word of God cuts away inherited evil tendencies and wrong traits strengthened by habit.

The cutting means cutting away even what is dear and useful when it becomes a snare that binds hand and foot and holds back from the work God gives to do, severing business entanglements to the last thread and throwing self wholly without reserve into God's work. It means stepping by faith into the unseen with trust that God will help and hold in His strong arms, and eternal life is worth this lifelong, persevering effort by which calling and election are made sure in going onward and upward without rolling backward. Following God may require giving up even a cherished inclination or selfish desire, and a missionary unwilling to make that sacrifice should not be sent to represent God.

Rather than doing a dishonest action, one should suffer the loss pictured by losing a right eye or cutting off a right hand. When truth is enshrined in the heart through its sanctifying power it produces virtue in word, deportment, character and spirit, makes a person conduct himself as Christ's representative in every place and under all circumstances, and makes him do whatever work he engages in with exactitude and diligence. It overcomes the inclination for an easy time without exertion of muscle and nerve and without taxing mind and body, brings solid timbers of character into the building, and makes him feel the claim the gospel puts upon him instead of keeping truth in the outer courts outside the sanctuary of the soul.

The image of losing an eye or arm shows how serious it is to obstruct the truth by weakening the influence of people God is using to bring light to others, and it is better to suffer loss than to take part in such wrongdoing. Even dignity, though deeply valued, must be sacrificed rather than allowed to take precedence over obedience to God's plain commands, requiring willingness to give up something as precious as an eye rather than disregard them.

Giving up one's own way and will, with cherished plans and purposes, to receive and act upon the counsel or direction of others and cooperate heartily can feel like plucking out a right eye or taking off a right arm. Edson found yielding his plans and purposes to the judgment of more experienced people as difficult as losing a right eye or hand, showing how the language of drastic loss applies to the need for self-discipline and surrender of inclinations. Admitting mistakes was as difficult for Dr. Kellogg as losing a valued part of the body, and those who hold their own ideas and ways dearer than the advancement of God's work find surrender that painful even when hearty cooperation requires it.

Making past wrongs right through confession and repentance is like removing a right eye, for no deception or impurity can remain in anyone who stands before a pure and holy God. The needed amputation is the cutting of selfishness and selfish indulgences from the character by the truth of God, for otherwise transgression endangers the soul and there is no hope of eternal life.

Taking out the right eye and taking off the right arm pictures a painful but positively necessary loss to save the whole person by stopping the breakdown of physical and mental forces. It means taking thorough rest and an entire change of labor, calling into exercise powers of the brain not under severe strain, rather than going on in exhausting overwork to the brink of ruin and complete breakdown.