(Text and Audio)
Title: What’s the Point?
The two verses that we are looking at today are undoubtedly familiar to us. They contain some of the most radical and stark words ever recorded by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I myself have studied these words many times, in many different books, read many different commentaries, and have personally toiled with both the correct interpretation and application of what we, as followers of Jesus, are supposed to do with this teaching.
Today I want to tackle this passage in a bit of a different format that what we are used to here at Heritage. I want to look at a few different possible understandings and applications of this passage, and then share what I believe is at the core of Jesus’s message.
Also, as we get started this morning, I want us to not forget something important about Jesus’s words here…this is the second time Matthew records this specific command from Jesus.
You may or may not recall, but way back in Matthew 5:29 Jesus says, “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.”
Now, it’s been quite a while since we looked at that passage. I preached that sermon over 3 years ago in November of 2010. And, after today’s message, if you would like to perhaps hear a more traditional, point by point explanation of what Jesus is saying both in the Matthew 5 passage, and it today’s passage, I highly encourage you to use the HBC website and listen to that sermon sometime this week, while today’s sermon is fresh in your mind. I purposefully wrote these two sermons to go hand in hand and complement each other. The Matthew 5 sermon is a bit more expositional in nature while today’s is more apologetic, meaning today’s sermon attempts to demonstrate what is and is not the correct reaction to this teaching from Jesus and why.
Now, there are some differences between the two passages. I am certain that the passage from Matthew 5 was a public teaching from Jesus, it occurs during the Sermon on the Mount. This passage from Matthew 18 may be public, or could be a private teaching to just the disciples, Matthew never makes that clear.
Either way, it is at least the 2nd time that the disciples were hearing this very same teaching, so that bears some significance.
Let’s get started.
(read/pray)
I. A Literal Teaching?
Jesus is directly saying to maim yourself in order to keep you from further sin.
Problems:
The Bible has clear teaching against self harm.
- I Corinthians 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
- Leviticus 19:28 You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord.
- Deuteronomy 14:1 You are the sons of the Lord your God. You shall not cut yourselves or make any baldness on your foreheads for the dead.
II. The Key Word: “IF”
Does your hand, foot, eye cause you to sin? (Don’t answer too quickly…)
No, but they do, and can play a role…how?
Would cutting off your hand or eye keep you from sinning?
So what DOES cause us to sin? How do we “cut that out?”
- What’s the point of the Metaphor?
If we can agree then that Jesus is not being literal here…and one way we’d know for sure is that all the disciples had all of their hands, eyes, ears, and feet, as far as we know…then we must move to the big question of the day: What is the point, then, of this metaphor.
Many of you have worked through Viktor Kuligan’s book “10 Things I Wish Jesus Never Said” with me. In fact, our Wednesday night group is currently in chapter 7 of this book. Kuligan dedicates the entire second chapter of his book to just this passage and his conclusion I completely agree with.
Let’s see if anyone remembers it… “We must (fill in the rest) deal ruthlessly with sin.”
Another way to say it: We must have a self-sacrificial attitude toward defeating sin.”
Another way: The battle over our minds and bodies is a casualty filled battle. Blood will be spilt, and we must be prepared to spill it, or we have no chance at victory.
Closing Thoughts:
Jesus knew these words were absolutely shocking. He knew that for centuries they’d produce a gasp and wonder as to how we can possibly follow Christ if the price is so steep that it literally cost us ourselves.
So I want to go a step even further this morning and ask an even deeper question:
Q: Concerning the human race and sin, why does Jesus NEED to make such a bold statement regarding the cost to defeat sin?
A: We simply don’t take sin seriously enough.