Wednesday 2020.07.15
Reading from Matthew Chapter 5
Eyes over evil, Hands over heart: It's all in your body.
Our Lord Iesou teaches us in this passage that when a man looks at a woman to lust after her, it is not so much his lust, nor his desires, nor his attraction towards the woman, that causes him to stumble. Instead, it is his eyes. It is that part of his body that he uses to look that leads him into sin. The man who faces such a temptation must deal with this part of his body, namely his eyes.
In other words, he must stop looking at that which is tempting him.
"Pluck it out, and cast it from thee . . . " says the Lord of your right eye, if you have to.
Likewise, if there is a sin that you commit with your hands, you must deal with this part of your body. You must stop using your hands to commit sin. Just as you turn your eyes away from the temptation of looking, you must also turn your hands away from the temptation of doing.
"Cut it off, and cast it from thee . . . " says the Lord of your right hand, if you have to.
Matthew 5:27 - 30 ASV
27 Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28 but I say unto you, that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
29 And if *thy right eye* causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body be cast into hell.
30 And if *thy right hand* causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body go into hell.
