If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna (hell). MT 5:29
The 5th chapter of Matthew is commonly referred to as The Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus taught many of his disciples God's laws. He touched on a lot of things including how to deal with anger and revenge.
Can you imagine what his disciples must have been thinking when he told them to pluck out their eye or cut off their hand? Did he actually mean for them to do this? I don't think so. Like many good counselors do today, Jesus was telling the people to look inward and find what is driving their sin (or ailment). Say you come home from work and your children are being noisy and demanding your attention. They continue to annoy you to the point that you get angry at them and maybe punish them. Were their actions what drove you to become angry, or was it because you had a very stressful day at work?
If we don't examine the root of our sin chances are we will continue to repeat them over and over. This is what Jesus teaches us through his colorful examples here. Find what's causing us to sin and then ask Jesus for help in healing that cause.
Dear Jesus, heal the deep hurt inside of me. Help me to conquer my pain so I may overcome my desires to sin.
