If your eye causes you to sin... oh, come on!
I've been thinking about blogging again. This seemed like as good a story to start with as any. It comes from my hometown. And it's made national news.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/woman-gouges-out-eyeball_us_5a7b6987e4b044b38218d95a
The story reminds me of this verse.
And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell - Mark 9:47Somehow I don't think this is what Jesus had in mind.
The article points out that no one really knows why she did it. They haven't gotten that far yet. My guess? Drugs. But who knows. Mental illness? Some sort of passive aggressive payback for an unfaithful lover? Demon possession? At this point almost everything has to be on the table.
The story highlights one of the problems of fundamentalism and literalism when it comes to Scripture. Pushed to its logical conclusion makes it grotesque.
I've been thinking about Matthew 5:21-37 this week because I'm supposed to lead a discussion on it Sunday morning. There are a series of "you have heard it said, but I say to you." Jesus talks about murder, anger, adultery and promises (oaths).
It seems to me that he's reminding his audience that God's law is for our good. The intention is to help us relate better to each other and to God himself. To relate in ways that are sustainable. That honor the other. That will make our relationships strong over the long haul.
We'd do well to listen to both the letter and the spirit of Jesus' interpretations. Understanding is the beginning of application. And application will lead to more abundant life.
