Matthew 5:30, commentary and pictures

The right hand stands for anything cherished as precious, valuable or essential that causes wrong, leads into sin, or hinders spiritual life and growth. Cutting it off and casting it away is not a command to injure the body but a figure for decisive surrender, removal and sacrifice to save the soul. It demands that whatever causes sin, hinders growth, or dishonors Christ be rejected and put away with no concession or compromise, even at great personal cost as severe as losing hand or eye. What must be cut off includes evil traits and cherished habits, sensual indulgence, intense love of money, self-reliance and self-righteousness, and worldly ties that obstruct God's work or lead others astray. It is profitable to suffer that loss rather than let sin bring ruin on the whole person, for eternal life is worth every lifelong persevering sacrifice.

Setting in Sermon on Mount

The saying was spoken on a mountainside in the Sermon on the Mount, given especially to the disciples but within hearing of the assembled multitude gathered from Galilee and many other regions. It belongs to Christ's instruction on the principles of His kingdom of divine grace rather than earthly glory. His followers must learn and obey that instruction rather than insist on their own way, putting aside conduct opposed to His teaching and forming Christlike character, with failure to do so bringing condemnation. That instruction is to be read and written on the heart, with Christian character shaped by God's Spirit and faith purifying the soul from objectionable tendencies whether hereditary or cultivated. These lessons are to be exemplified in life, and living them can make a deeper and more lasting impression than preaching them.

It reveals the law's far-reaching claims, not a cold code of commands and human traditions, but God's enduring standard of righteousness, holy, just and good. On the mount the law is shown to reach far beyond outward acts, condemning every evil action and demanding perfect obedience. The claims of the law require the spirit of the law in the heart, because the state of the heart regulates the life and character. New converts must be impressed with these far-reaching principles, or labor to instruct them in the law will be lost.

It was taught with divine authority rather than repeating human traditions, setting aside the continually repeated they say and it hath been said of the rabbinical schools, which corrupt the mind, and giving instead a greater and certain wisdom to be accepted over the unstable words of men. Its teaching opposed the doctrines and practices of the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees and challenged their misrepresentation of God as stern and without compassion, mercy or love. It directs people to God's truth and away from corrupting influences, as the standard by which conduct and character are to be shaped rather than the repeated traditions and teachings of human authorities. In that sermon it warns that failing to walk in the light God has given separates people from Him, with darkness coming in proportion to the light allowed to shine on the path.

Meaning of the Imagery

The right hand, like the right eye, stands for anything cherished as precious, valuable, useful, dear, or essential that causes offense, leads into sin, or hinders religious life and spiritual growth. It is a valued indulgence or attachment that must be put away even at great personal cost rather than allowed to endanger eternal life. A cherished sin so retained keeps the soul in bondage and makes living faith ineffective, preventing growth and nearness to God.

Cutting it off and casting it away is a figure for decisive surrender, removal, and sacrifice to save the soul, not a command to mutilate the body or injure oneself. The hand is a picture of what must be surrendered in self-surrender and obedience, because keeping what corrupts the whole character leaves no way to be saved. Even personal dignity must be yielded rather than letting the natural heart rule against plain commands.

Cutting off the hand represents the surrender of the will, because sin retains its hold through the will. Surrendering the will often feels like consenting to go through life maimed, wounded, or crippled, yet it is better for self to be maimed if thus one may enter into life. Sin must therefore be treated with utmost seriousness and never made light of, giving up what is as precious as the right hand rather than keeping it while practicing sin.

Just as a person would give up a hand to stop disease from spreading and destroying the body, so a person should give up what leads the soul toward sin and destruction. Whatever causes the soul to stumble must be sacrificed in order to be saved from sin itself and restored to the divine image. What looks like disaster is the door to highest benefit. The loss of the right hand shows how completely one who understands that a course sets him against God would reject it, no more choosing it than severing his own hand, calling for decisive action to avoid sin and its deadly consequences.

Call to Decisive Separation

Anything that draws into sin must be decisively rejected, forsaken and put away, for losing something valuable is better than letting sin bring the whole person to destruction. Anything causing sin or hindering spiritual growth and the forming of character in cooperation with God, anything leading into sin and dishonoring Christ, anything dear to the carnal nature that causes stumbling, including every darling indulgence, cherished idol and cherished sin, must be given up and cut off rather than allowed to endanger eternal life, degrade character, mislead others and bring death to the soul. The removal must allow no concession or compromise, with urgent determined resistance and perseverance through spiritual opposition, and nothing permitted to lead toward hell or imperil eternal life. Merely recognizing sin is not enough, for sin must be decisively forsaken as if removing a right eye or cutting off a right hand, which shows the seriousness of turning from sin to God rather than continuing in it.

The separation is to be made even at great personal cost, however painful and severe, as severe as losing a hand, eye or arm. Even what is as dear, precious, valued and useful as hand or eye, a valued indulgence or attachment that hinders religious life and leads to sin, must be sacrificed if it causes offense rather than allowed to endanger eternal life and faithfulness to truth. The path to heaven requires self-denial and effort, and the prize of eternal life is worth every necessary effort and sacrifice, of infinite value, so welcoming the aid of the Holy Spirit and cooperating with it calls for efforts and sacrifices proportionate to the object to be attained. This includes giving up self-reliance, self-righteousness, worldly associations and human approval and the approbation of men when they obstruct the way to heaven, and being willing to renounce human wisdom and receive the kingdom as a little child.

The demand applies even to one weak point in an otherwise strong character, for indulging one sin divides the heart's service and is no trifling matter, and that sin must be overcome rather than excused. Retaining a sensual indulgence or lust, or any cherished sin become as dear or useful as hand or eye, keeps the soul in bondage and makes living faith ineffective, preventing spiritual growth and nearness to God. If such sins are retained Satan can use them as snares, while true repentance turns from sin to God.

Obedience is intelligent faith, and service to God is self-denial requiring soberness, thoughtfulness and decided purpose to obey all requirements even when obedience takes away what is as dear as the right eye or right arm. Intellect must be used in spiritual matters as in business, conscientiously weighing evidence, thinking deeply and counting the cost, because eternal life is to be gained or lost. The warfare between good and evil has not grown less fierce than in the days of Christ, the path to heaven is no smoother, and self still battles fiercely for supremacy.

What Must Be Cut Off

Evil traits of character must be closely examined, uprooted and separated lest they corrupt the whole person and destroy influence for good, even when the separation is painful as losing a cherished member. The offending hand and eye stand for hidden depravity, evil desires and faults whether hereditary or cultivated and Satan-inspired, and favorite vices formed by habit, requiring personal purification through obedience to the truth. Selfishness, covetousness, harshness and unkindness must be taken out of the life, with pride, sensuality, selfish ambition and self-esteem also cut away, otherwise they make a person offensive to God and neglectful of those needing help.

Sensual indulgence and lust kept in the heart hold the soul in bondage and make living faith ineffective, preventing growth and nearness to God, and must be decisively put away though as precious and useful as the right hand. Every cherished habit or practice that dishonors God degrades character, can mislead others and brings death to the soul, and must be removed whatever the sacrifice rather than forfeit eternal life. Intense love of money is like a right arm that must be cut off or it will cost salvation, and parting with money for the work of saving others feels to a selfish heart like cutting off the right hand, while a generous heart finds the demand small and relieving.

For a covetous man who loves money, some of it not honestly gained, being saved requires painful self-denial as severe as taking out the right eye or cutting off the right arm, by redeeming the time and making restitution wherever he has wronged anyone as it comes to mind. That painful work is his only hope of pardoning love with no other way, repeated efforts fail without it, yet if in the few remaining days of life he begins there will be hope, while going on as before leaves his case hopeless to lose both worlds, see the saints glorified in the heavenly city while himself thrust out, with no part in the precious life purchased at infinite cost which he sold for earthly riches.

Self-reliance, self-righteousness, self-confidence, human wisdom, self-sufficiency and cherished human plans and purposes, however desirable and flawless they seem, must be sacrificed when they oppose God's purposes, spiritual health and the future well-being of His cause. Obedience means renouncing human wisdom to receive the kingdom as a little child, parting with self-righteousness, sacrificing the approbation of men and worldly associations when they obstruct the way to heaven, and yielding plans to wiser judgment to protect the soul. Giving up one's own way and ideas to receive counsel and follow wiser judgment can feel as painful as losing a right hand or right arm, yet the loss is preferable to losing eternal life.

Worldly associates and human approval must be given up when they hinder religious life and stand in the way of faithfulness, and influence or advantage must be surrendered rather than used to obstruct God's light or weaken those God is using, for that is grievous sin. It is better to suffer loss of a member than to bring another into a wrong course, and in a community of different temperaments and backgrounds all must guard against leading one another to forget God. The warning reaches even disciples whose conduct turns away one Christ is drawing.

The hand and eye to remove are the inward inclination to feel abused and slighted, complain of brethren, suppose they purpose a hard and trying position, discern things in a wrong light with incorrect and unjust suppositions that feel real, bear false witness in the heart, harass life with miserable reflections and grievances kept fresh and gone over again and again, and recall thwarted will and changed plans as if harm were designed. These are direct insinuations of Satan cutting and bruising the soul and bringing unhappiness on self and loved ones. Cutting off means quelling that inclination, ceasing to worry, fret, complain and reflect upon brethren, seeing good in everything, looking past the brother to Jesus to receive His likeness with single eye to His glory, trusting the heavenly Father as a child trusts a parent without fear, resting secure as His property by creation and redemption under His special care and letting Him make all work for sanctification, which reshapes ways and thoughts and gives confidence in brethren.

Ministers and workers in responsible positions who gratify selfish propensities, do only what agrees with tastes and ideas, make provision for pride and sensuality, carry out selfish ambitions and plans, are full of self-esteem and do not grow in grace and knowledge must have evil propensities cut off and be separated from them or they cannot be acceptable before God. They must put on Christ, find in Him wisdom, sanctification and redemption, dedicate themselves without reservation and take Him as personal Saviour to represent His religion. Accepting and retaining workers who persist in imperfections and give no full proof of ministry greatly lowers the standard, so candidates must be thoroughly examined as to qualifications before ordination rather than after they are established and have put their mould upon the work.

Business interests that bind hand and foot and whatever entangles and holds back from God-given work must be cut to the last thread, with cherished things kept back as a snare cut out and taken off if necessary, to throw oneself without reserve wholly into the work stepping by faith into the unseen with God helping and holding in His strong arms. The soul must be cleansed from corrupt practices such as unjustly taking another's means, which fail the law and gospel taught on the Mount, choosing to lose even what is as dear as eye or hand rather than do a dishonest action, working with exactitude and diligence and bringing solid timbers into character. A valued course or line of labor that is breaking down physical and mental strength by exhausting strain must be stopped at once with thorough rest and entire change of work, calling unused organs of the brain into exercise rather than drawing on future capital and risking complete ruin on the very brink of the precipice. Though feeling like taking off the right arm and taking out the right eye, the sacrifice is positively necessary and pays, for after months of complete change a person may through God's blessing become as a new man.

Straight testimony must continue, as in Monterey, even if it cuts off what is as precious as right arm or right eye, confronting wrong without compromise so God can purify a people zealous for good works. Missionaries must separate from selfish desires and inclinations rather than follow them, for choosing those desires dishonors God, harms His cause and makes a person unfit to be sent abroad. Facing and acknowledging wrong without defending self can feel like losing a right hand or right arm in decisive break with attachment, as when it was painfully hard for Dr. Kellogg to admit his mistakes. Cutting off means dying to self by thoroughly confessing past wrongs and making them right as far as possible with no deception or impurity remaining, giving up even things seeming essential to happiness rather than keeping them while practicing sin.

The verse calls for choosing even loss of the right hand rather than showing disrespect to God in anything, with full resolve to obey Him and preserve obedience over dignity and cherished interests rather than let the natural heart rule against His plain commands. This applies to keeping the Sabbath holy by accepting even the heaviest day of labor when the work is the Lord's work in His cause, refusing personal business or advantage. The image is also putting self to death and giving up self-centered struggle so Christ may live within, humbling self before God, removing what hinders forming character in cooperation with God, and severing anything earthly coming between the person and God as preparation for seeing His face and becoming Christlike. A follower must give up what is precious rather than abandon principle with faithfulness firm, for the amputation is the cutting out of selfishness from the character by truth, without which there is no hope of eternal life or faithful service.

Worth and Power of Surrender

It is profitable to lose one member rather than have the whole body cast into hell, for losing something valuable is better than letting sin bring destruction, death and ruin on the whole person. Anything drawing a person into sin, dishonoring Christ, degrading character, misleading others and bringing death to the soul must be decisively rejected and put away, whatever the sacrifice. The comparison of giving up what is as precious as the right hand in order to enter the kingdom maimed stresses decisive separation from sin and warns against making light of wrongdoing. Nothing should be allowed to lead toward hell or imperil eternal life, and the image calls for urgent, determined resistance to sin and perseverance through spiritual opposition.

Eternal life is worth every necessary effort and lifelong persevering sacrifice, for it is of infinite value. Anything cherished that hinders religious life, spiritual growth and progress heavenward — a valued indulgence or attachment, self-reliance, self-righteousness, worldly associations, human wisdom and human approval — must be put away even at great personal cost rather than allowed to endanger eternal life. The hand and eye are figures for such indulgences to be cut off, not a command to injure the body. Faith is intelligent faith and service is self-denial requiring soberness, thoughtfulness and decided purpose, using intellect, weighing evidence, thinking deeply and counting the cost, because eternal life is to be gained or lost and the warfare between good and evil is no less fierce than in Christ's day, the path to heaven no smoother, and self still battles fiercely for supremacy. Welcoming the aid of the Holy Spirit and cooperating with it requires efforts and sacrifices proportionate to the value of the object to be attained, and this complete separation makes calling and election sure.

Surrendering the will to God in this painful sacrifice does not destroy it, for when yielded to God it is restored, purified and joined to the divine will. What appears to be loss brings spiritual victory, as weakness and suffering become means through which faith is strengthened. The change is accomplished when Christian character is shaped by God's Spirit and faith purifies the soul from objectionable tendencies, whether hereditary or cultivated. When Satan-inspired attributes represented by the hand and eye are surrendered, Christ's love makes the person tender and compassionate. The Word of God received and lived produces faith working through love that purifies the soul and removes inherited evil tendencies and wrong traits strengthened by habit, before their power corrupts the whole person and destroys influence for good, and the struggle ends when truth enters the heart and its affections through the Holy Spirit so that the will is submitted to God and the whole person is brought under Christ's rule. The amputation is the cutting out of selfishness from the character by the truth of God, without which there is no hope of eternal life.

Overcoming requires earnest, determined effort, urgent resistance and perseverance through opposition, with self-denial and toil. When truth is brought into the sanctuary of the soul and enshrined in the heart, its sanctifying power produces virtue in word, deportment, character and spirit. So a person becomes a representative of Christ in every place and under all circumstances, working with exactitude and diligence and bringing solid timbers of character into the building instead of seeking an easy time without exertion of muscle and nerve and taxing of mind and body, choosing to lose even what is as dear as eye or hand rather than do a dishonest action.