I’d actually like to begin my sermon this morning with a troubling teaching that Jesus gave His followers. It can be found in the book of Matthew chapter 5 beginning at verse 27. If you would like to follow along in the Bibles in your pews, please turn to page __. Jesus says,
27"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If 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 for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.
Now, the adultery part is difficult enough, but it’s understandable. Jesus intentionally came to show each and every one of us that we are sinful despite our best efforts to think that we are not. There were more than a few groups in Jesus’ day who thought themselves above everyone else because they adhered to God’s laws. Jesus pushed them very hard in this regard. He didn’t want anyone to think he or she was any less sinful than anyone else. All need God’s grace, and with one fell swoop, he brought every male to his knees with this teaching. As I said, difficult, but understandable.
It’s the next teaching that has given many fits for generations. "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 for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one part of your members than for your whole body to go into hell."
Now, I’ve heard more than a few folks say that Jesus is using hyperbole here, meaning Jesus is intentionally using something extreme to grab your attention. He doesn’t really mean that we should go and cut out our eye or cut off our hand. They point to the fact that there aren’t exactly too many Christians who literally do this. Even Jesus’ disciples didn’t do such a thing. Jesus couldn’t really have meant what He said.
Well, of course, maybe those who explain this text in this fashion are correct. Maybe Jesus didn’t mean that we should cut out our eye or off our hand. Maybe Jesus was using something extreme to get our attention. But what if Jesus was indeed being serious? Maybe He really meant what he said. If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. For it is better to lose these members than to spend an eternity in hell. Honestly, this is a true statement. It would be better to go through this life without an eye or without a hand than to spend eternity in hell. There is no doubt in my mind about that. So why don’t Christians pluck out their eyes or cut off their hands?
Well, take some time to think really hard about Jesus’ teaching here. Contemplate it for just a moment and emphasize the word IF. IF your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. IF your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. Let me ask you a couple of quick questions as you contemplate that word IF. Does your eye cause you to sin? Does your hand cause you to sin?
Perhaps, just perhaps, Jesus is giving us this teaching to point out the absurdity of blaming our eyes or our hands for our sinfulness. Perhaps, just perhaps, Jesus is being downright literal to make us dig down to the root of what causes us to sin, and we can actually see that root in the words of our second lesson this morning from the book of James.
James writes, "13No one, when tempted, should say, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one. 14But one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it; 15then, when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death."
According to James, where does sin originate?
In our desire.
Where does that desire originate? Does it originate in our eye? Does it originate in our hand? Of course not. Not a chance. Desire does not originate in our eyes or in our hands: it originates in our hearts and minds. This is what Jesus is trying to get across to you and me in His teachings throughout scripture. Why is this so important?
Simply put, Jesus doesn’t just want us to do good things. He wants us to be good people. Let me illustrate this further by returning to Jesus’ sermon on the mount. This time, let’s look at a few verses in chapter six beginning with verse 1:
"Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2"So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. .
5"And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you
Now, there’s certainly nothing wrong with giving alms or giving to the poor. And there’s nothing wrong with praying. Both of these are considered very good things that Christians ought to practice. But, you will notice that Jesus condemns those who give alms so that everyone else can see them. You will notice that Jesus condemns those who pray out in public so that everyone can see them. Why?
Their desires aren’t to give for the sake of giving. Their desire isn’t to pray for God’s sake. They are not seeking to honor God by their gifts or by their prayers–they want others to see them. They want others to consider them good people, holy people. They want others to give them kudos for being nice and prayerful people. As such, they are really being self-centered and not God-centered. They are doing good deeds, but they are not being good people.
It is Jesus’ desire that we become good people. It is Jesus’ desire that our hearts are tuned to Him to reflect His nature and give glory to our Father who is in heaven, and there is some bad news and some good news in this regard.
The bad news is that we cannot simply overcome our desires. Our human nature is warped. No matter how hard we struggle, there will always be pride that surfaces. There will always be self-centeredness. There will always be lust and envy and greed. These parts of our hearts will constantly drag us toward those desires which lead to sin.
But, there is good news. James leaves us with these thoughts, "17Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures."
For you see, God, through Jesus Christ has given us birth by the word of truth. He has come into our lives and works in our hearts and minds to combat those desires which lead to sin. He constantly shines His light into us to transform us to help us become better people. You don’t have to pluck out your eye or cut off your hand. Just give God room to work and He will help you overcome the root of temptation. Amen.
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