Monday 18th March
Read Matthew 5:27-30
“‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.” 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” (NIVUK)
The shocking language Jesus uses reveals just how seriously we must take sin in our lives. Jesus does not say it will be easy, but He does tell us how to proceed. If sin enters through something you watch (eyes), blind yourself. If sin enters by some activity you do (hands), remove them. If sin arises because of somewhere you go (feet), lame yourself. The first step is to not look, not do or not go. Act as though you truly are maimed.
There is a significant cost associated with acting in this way. You will look different, maybe even stupid, to those around you when you cut yourself off from activities that may be perfectly OK in themselves but are dangerous for you. The mortification of sin, an old way of describing something we should engage in every day, requires us to put to death that which keeps us from life. Life both here and now and life eternal. We should live as though maimed.
Although Jesus will raise this later in His sermon, there is an equal and opposite danger associated with cutting oneself off from those opportunities for sin to enter our lives. There is pride associated with denying ourselves something that is dangerous to our souls that makes us think we deserve God’s favour because of our sacrifice. More than that, we may even think ourselves better than those who lack the self-discipline to make the sacrifices we have made.
Jesus will have none of that. Holiness wears different clothes. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Colossians 3:12-14) (NIVUK)
