29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body shold be cast into hell.
30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thou that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
COMMENTARY: The statement of cutting off one's hand or plucking out one's eye definitely is not to be taken literally. What Jesus implies is that if thy right eye offend thee, then the logical thing to do would be to pluck it out. His point is not that one should literally pluck out his eye, but that one should recognize that the source of lust comes from within the mind and heart of man, not from the physical organ itself. The right eye is not the source of sin; the heart of man is that source. The seriousness of the sin of lusting is thus illustrated by this graphic comparison. Ultimately, it would be better for a person to be physically maimed than to go to hell forever. However, doing physical damage to oneself does not in any way guarantee entrance into heaven. Jesus is simply teaching that man must bring the passions of his heart under the control of the Spirit of God.
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