If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you?

Question

Does God really want people to pluck out their eyeballs, or is he really just trying to tell you how bad sin is.

Has anyone ever plucked out an eyeball in the last 2000 years?

Answer 1

Before that statement, Jesus is talking about how "the thought" can be the same of "the action". Hate is the same as murder. Lust is the same as adultery.

But we know that hate not the same as murder - in the physical. But it is the seed from which murder will grow, just as lust is the sin from which adultery will grow.

Then Jesus make the statement about plucking the eye and cutting off the hand. It appears that he is still speaking spiritually, not physically in these statements. He is not talking about physically dismembering yourself, but rather cutting off any thought (through the eyes) or action (through the hands) that would lead to sin (and hell).

Have there been some who have taken this commandment to be physical and dismembered themselves? Unfortunately, there are some rare records of monks during the Middle Ages who did such things. But they have been few and far between. It is never been a common practice, nor one support by any church or leadership.

Answer 2

It isn't literal. I think it is a hyperbole.

Not everything is to be read literally in the Bible.

There lot of figure of speeches and different genre just as there is in many other books.

Basically it is a way of saying...Remove the temptation.

For instance let's say one keeps staring at the girl in class who has really big mammas and just looks so sexy. Now one could literally rip out the eyeballs, but that's gross.

Or one can ask to be moved some place where one could not see her or put a hand or something to block the view.

Basically to remove what is tempting. Like if one spends too much money...not to cut off the hand...but to cut out the credit cards.

So it isnt literal by any means.

If it was....no one would have any hands or feet or anything let alone tongues.

Answer 3

Jesus was talking about the body of Christianity, meaning everyone one who believes and tries to live right. Like back in school, the student body was all the students. But if a part of that body tries to suppress or pervert everyone else, it's time to give them the boot. Some churches take this a little too far and kick out people for lots of things, like divorce, or the way someone dresses.

Answer 4

Jesus is not advocating plucking out one's eye in order to avoid sin.

but to resist the sin of looking at certain things might be as hard as it might be to get an eye plucked out.
.

in the long run. getting an eye plucked out doesnt require any obedience in not looking at certain things.

and obedience is the main factor in most of Jesus' teachings.
.

Answer 5

Jesus is dead serious!! Sin is a very big thing to worry about and if cutting out your eye is necessary for quitting a certain sin then so be it. This Guy isn't playin' around.

Answer 6

If Jesus was not sent on Earth.
the forgiving of sin may be like this. If your right hand commited sin, cut it..If your eye committed sin, pluck it out.

I wonder how many christians would be blind now..

Thank God, we got Jesus Christ.

Answer 7

who knows.
i think there was a guy in one of the saw movies that had to pluck out his eyeball.....

Answer 8

he don't want you to pluck out a body part he wants you to pluck out the sin.

Answer 9

It was a metaphor.

Sometimes it hurts to remove sin from our lives... but that temporary pain of casting it off is worth it compared to the joys ahead.

Answer 10

that is extremely hard core isn't it. No not many plucking out an eye ball in my world.