Taking this passage literally is clearly problematic, not the least of which is the fact that tearing out an eye would not stop the sin of lusting. Now certainly hyperbole was frequently used by Jewish teachers of his day to call their listeners attention to what they taught, however I am not sure if this is Jesus using hyperbole in the Sermon on the Mount, or at least not what I normally think of hyperbole.Considering this as hyperbolic, it may be tempting not to take it seriously. Pastor Ray also preached in his sermon, and I agree, that there is something radical Jesus is imparting here about our relationship with God. I am always struck with how down-to-earth and at the same time radical the words of Jesus appear whenever he is teaching. What Jesus says remains unexpected and that seems to be by intention.
Our expectations appear to color how we read the Bible when Jesus is teaching. For example, we tend to center ourselves on the sin and we begin to look for good ways to stop ourselves from sinning. We naturally think about the consequences of sin. For lust our minds turn to sexual abuse, human trafficking, and rape and assault, while conjuring up images of young people of both sexes who are pressurized into stereotypes of how they should be acting in relationships and are given impossible ideals of how they should look and act. We have a desire to escape these consequences by breaking the chain and stopping the lust.
I wonder if, however, Jesus is illustrating for us the impossibility of breaking the chain in that particular way. He may be teaching that while it is important to follow the law, we can be helpless to prevent ourselves from sinning again and again. It is not simply that this passage shouldn't be taken literally. Essentially Jesus presents us here with a way that is unrealistic, and therefore impossible, to act out if we declare ourselves guilty of sinning.
First of all, an eye does not cause lust. Next, we see with both eyes and each eye would be equally qualified to be taken out. And even if an "offending" eye or hand is selected Jesus does not command "Go out and have it removed". He says that we, as individuals, should separate that member from our bodies ourselves. Something deep within practically everyone would stop us. None of us would be able to dismember ourselves like this if we are of sound mind. We simply cannot judge ourselves and do what Jesus says here. I doubt we could deny the self-preservation instinct even under the threat of hell in the hereafter.
We are who we are and this is how God made us. I am still learning what this teaching means for me but I don't think Jesus is trying to make us feel guilt or hate ourselves. I don't believe Jesus is focused on us achieving some sort of purity or ridding ourselves of something within us that causes sin either. Instead, his words encourage us to recognize the radical nature of God’s kingdom and the impact that should have on how we think and act. How we think and how we act in our daily lives has an impact, not only on our own well-being and on other individuals, but also on our society and on our environment.
This may be thought of as Jesus speaking in the same vein as Jonathan's Swift essay A Modest Proposal where he is engaged in irony or what may be called hyperbolic satire, I don't think that Jesus' words, however, suggest irony or satire so much as they illustrate an option to counter sin that humankind may think is viable but that, in fact, we are incapable of taking by our nature.
If we really want to challenge the world, we must start with challenging ourselves realistically. And if we really want to change the world, we must start with changing ourselves where we can. We must recognize how God is allowing us to change for the better at any given moment. We must consider what we can and cannot change within ourselves. I doubt God depends on or desires that we change our fundamental nature, tear out our eye, carry the weight of the world, or bring about the kingdom of heaven only through self-centered attempts at love in action. I believe Jesus is teaching us how to live together with who we are as individuals. This is a lesson in recognizing we are all guilty of sin in some degree and the inherent futility of trying to judge ourselves or others like God judges us.
On a side note, each time I heard this Bible passage I think about the Norse legend my grandfather told me about how Odin lost his eye. Odin had ventured to Mimir’s Well where Mimir, a shadowy being whose knowledge of all things was practically unparalleled among the inhabitants of the cosmos resided. He achieved this status largely by taking his water from the well, whose waters impart this cosmic knowledge. Odin came here because he was told if he drank from the well he would have the knowledge of how to prevent the end of the world he lived in.
When Odin arrives, he asks Mimir for a drink from the water. The well’s guardian, knowing the value of such a draught, refuses unless Odin offers an eye in return. Odin – whether straightaway or after anguished deliberation, we can only wonder – (unlike what humans could muster within themselves) does gouge out one of his eyes and drops it into the well. Having made the necessary sacrifice, Mimir dips his horn into the well and offers the now-one-eyed god a drink.The knowledge Odin desired is immediately imparted to him. To stop his world from ending he must be ever watchful and, from here on out, keep both eyes open.
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