READ: Exodus 19, 20; Psalm 35; Matthew 18:1-20.
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 18: 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
OBSERVATION: Many Christians misunderstand this passage and fail to see what Jesus wants to communicate to us. Some think that who can live such a life that is free from any sin. The emphasis here is not to "cut off" the God-given organs of our body, but to discipline them not to sin. It is not a call for "a self-mutilation", but to consider the seriousness of sin and its consequences. Removing a body part will not help a person to deliver himself/herself from any sinful thought or action. If we take the literal meaning of this verse, none of us will be spared. Jesus calls for a disciplined life that has no place for any sin. A disciple of Jesus can live such a life when s/he follows Jesus in every possible way.
APPLICATION: Like a periodical medical examination helps to treat my body in a healthy way, I need to have a regular self-check up to keep my spiritual life healthy and to live a vibrant Christian life. I need to identify what causes me to sin and must be ready to remove it from my life. I should not adjust or compromise myself with anything that could lead to a sin. Considering the seriousness and dangers of a sin, I should allow Jesus to touch my hands, feet, and my eyes and to use them for the purposes that God has ordained for them.
PRAYER: Jesus, thank you for the warning about sin and the reminder about the consequences of it. You alone can help me to live a life that uses our body parts to glorify God in everything I do. You are the holy God. Touch me, purify my thoughts and heart desires. Help me today to live a holy life that pleases you. Amen.
- Arputharaj Samuel
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