Jesus says three times to pluck out your eye if he offends you. Matthew 5:29, Matthew 18:9, and Mark 9:47. Can somebody please explain why an all-loving God (remember; the Trinity) would follow such an archaic ideal?
2007-06-08 20:10:01 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
He means: If you look at something that might seduce you to do something bad, then look the other way.
2007-06-08 20:13:39 · answer #1 · answered by Enduringwisdom 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Whether this is taken literally or not, what the Lord is teaching us is to take serious what we allow our eyes to look at. Most of the sins (if not all) that men commit are as a result of having looked first and then seen. You cannot see what you have not looked at. And quite obviously you cannot desire what you haven't seen.
You cannot desire what you haven't seen ~ even nature teaches us that. The Lord reapeted this two times, to show us how serious it is. David, the patriarch saw Batsheba naked, having a bath and lusted after her, and as a result what followed was only natural ~ he slept with her, thus, commiting udultery. The Lord Jesus was definitely not pleased with that!
I like Job! In the book of Job even before the Lord Jesus Christ spoke about 'plucking our eyes out', we read, "I have made a convenant with my eyes not to look with lust at another's wife". Trully these are the words of a wise, righteous and discerning man. And God is pleased with such people.
Great question!
Have a great day! God loves you.
2007-06-09 03:48:31 · answer #2 · answered by RealArsenalFan 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Jesus was saying this as an hyperbole to show how ineffective is obedience to the law of Moses to make us righteous. Man cannot fully obey the law and it became a curse to him. Jesus came to fulfil the law on our behalf so that we now receive God's righteousness in Christ by grace and not by our obeying the law. As we have received God's righteousness by grace so long as we stay in grace and not subject ourselves to the law sin will have no dominion over us (Romans 6:14). As we are now under grace plucking our eyes out is not necessary to cause us not to sin.
2007-06-09 04:06:45 · answer #3 · answered by seekfind 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Jesus was trying to convey just how terrible sin is and just how radical we should be with sin....that we should give it no opportunity. He's saying do whatever it takes to keep from sinning. He didn't mean we should literally pluck it out. He knows we need our eyes. After all, why would He heal the blind and then tell us to turn around and literally pluck our eyes out?? Give it some thought.
2007-06-09 03:32:30 · answer #4 · answered by graphitegirl 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Jesus is trying to teach that whatever is an obstacle to your salvation is something that must be done away with. No one is ever told to literally pluck their eyes out. Jesus is making a point in the lessons he is teaching that the readers can understand. No one has ever plucked their eyes out (to my knowledge) and this is not the intent of Jesus, it is part of a bigger lesson to eliminate obstacles.
2007-06-09 03:15:33 · answer #5 · answered by great gig in the sky 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
If your eye causes you to sin. Obviously Jesus doesnt want us to mutilate ourselves like the knight on monty python "holy grail". But to make a covenant with our eyes so as not to lust. To die to those desires and if necessary live as if our eye were plucked out.
Even still it would be better to enter heaven with one eye, than enter hell with two. (if you believe Jesus and believe in heaven and hell)
2007-06-09 03:20:10 · answer #6 · answered by walked365 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Jesus is speaking metaphorically here. He is emphasizing the seriousness of sin and how important it is to do whatever is necessary to get it out of your life.
2007-06-09 03:55:43 · answer #7 · answered by Northstar 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The words of Jesus here are not to be taken literally. He was referring to getting to the root of the problem, or the heart.
2007-06-09 03:49:51 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
He referring to the unity or the body of Christ, to not let theses things over take your body. It does not mean to literally pluck your eye out!
2007-06-09 03:19:25 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
he was not telling us to do that just saying it is better to lose an eye than sin. I do not think it should be taken litteraly.
2007-06-09 03:14:04 · answer #10 · answered by Mim 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋