Gospel of Matthew, chapter 5:29-30

Why would the Lord recommend that we mutilate our bodies which we should respect as precious gifts of God? Why does He tell us in chapter five of St. Matthews’ gospel to tear out your right eye, if it causes you to sin, and throw it away?

Is it not obvious that He is asking us to pluck out those parts of our psychological being that are obstacles to entering into his kingdom? He is referring to those parts of our being, deep within us, that lead to sin, such as pride, greed, envy, mean-spiritedness, and hatred.

The eye is the lamp of the body, but if it is in darkness, it will not let the light in. All knowledge, according to Aristotle, comes through the senses. The sense of sight is a wonderful gift, but it must be used creatively and wisely. The lusting eye that excites depraved cravings within the heart; the grasping hand that reaches for what it does not own; must be plucked out or cut off if love is to be born.

People in Jesus’ day did not appreciate the wonders He was doing. He said: “they have eyes but they see not.” Many today go through life like blind people or with blinkers on; they see what they want to see and they don’t see what they should see. They see the bad in others and they refuse to see that the answer to their problems is within themselves. They will not receive the answer unless they pluck out the causes from within themselves that prevent them from following Jesus. Then, they will see others for what they are. It is so easy when you are spiritually blind to “see the speck in your brother’s eye, and ignore the boulder in your own eye.” Jesus wants us to repent of our sins as a condition to follow Him.

The Lord has given us the gift of faith to be used for our benefit; to reveal the meanings of his word in the scriptures; to put our trust in Him who alone can transform our lives by enabling us to pluck out the roots of sin within us, and follow Him.

Fr. Hugh Duffy