Why Matthew 5:29-30?

[Agios]

Did you know that this is practiced in Muslim countries to this day? Saudi Arabia, Yemen, UAE, etc.

Yikes! I will research this. Thanks.
I have heard of Muslims stoning their wives to death - in the US, too.

 

[CadyandZoe]

Matt 29-30 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. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

Obviously the above verses shows the severity of sin in the eyes of God, is that the only point Jesus is trying to make here?

Was Jesus talking about the Church as a whole, in that if one member is causing other members to sin, throw them out?

A dispensationalist told me one time, Jesus was only talking about the Kingdom of God that is to come and doesn't apply to the Church nor at this time? (No, I'm not a dispensationalist, but it was one take on this passage).

How do you understand what Jesus was saying here? Thanks!

Let's make a couple of observations here.
1. The immediate context is lust and adultery.
2. The larger context is righteousness.

Question:
How does the Pharisee define righteousness?
How does Jesus define righteousness?
Does the excision of a body part have any effect on lust?
Is Jesus actually suggesting that Lust is the moral equivalent of Adultery?

Answer: I think there are two things going on here. First, Jesus is attempting to expand the thinking of the Pharisees who would define "righteousness" in behavioral terms. Pharisee-ism is all about rules and outcomes. Give me the rule to obey so that when I obey that rule, I can know that I am righteous and that God favors me.

Jesus wants the Pharisees to understand that the avoidance of adultery might define someone as a "good person" according to the ethics of Judaism, but it doesn't make someone "righteous." A righteous man will not even look at a woman with lust for her.

Second, adultery often takes place when two people draw close together and become emotionally attached to each other. When a man becomes emotionally attached to a woman, or when a woman becomes emotionally attached to a man. such a person is unable and unwilling to let them go. If lust should lead to intimacy, even if it only involves holding hands and spending large amounts of time together, losing that person or being rejected by that person feels like losing a body part. (Believe me when I say that it can feel like dying.)

I think Jesus is trying to tell us that it would be better to end it now, cut it off now, if you will, rather than ending up in hell later.

 

[brionne]

Matt 29-30 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. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

Obviously the above verses shows the severity of sin in the eyes of God, is that the only point Jesus is trying to make here?

Was Jesus talking about the Church as a whole, in that if one member is causing other members to sin, throw them out?

A dispensationalist told me one time, Jesus was only talking about the Kingdom of God that is to come and doesn't apply to the Church nor at this time? (No, I'm not a dispensationalist, but it was one take on this passage).

How do you understand what Jesus was saying here? Thanks!

He was imploring his disciples to remove things from their life that would cause them to sin before God and therefore cause them to loose their life.
We think of God as being all forgiving....but his forgiveness has limits. If a person does not trully repent but continues to make the same mistakes over and over again, then they will be called to account for that. So Jesus is saying do whatever you have to do to stop sinning.

Human life is precious... protect it at all costs.

 

[DPMartin]

Being sin free is obviously the way to Life, wouldn't you agree? Jesus was emphasizing the importance of this, right?

Do you advocate that a person who steals, should really cut their hand off?

what the heck!!

really?