Matthew 18:8-9

As a new Christian I was often perplexed over the following verses, thinking, this is quite a harsh and dramatic way in which to deal with our bodies. But as the years have progressed I have come to understand and appreciate these scriptures more and more.

Matthew 18:8-9 Reads
"If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. 9"If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell."

When we look at these verses in context we suddenly realise Jesus is talking to a particular type of person, those who cause others to sin or put stumbling blocks in others paths. More aptly Jesus speaks a "woe" over those who causes "little ones" to sin. From scripture we know that Jesus was referring to children or at least those who are impressionable and unable to defend themselves when he spoke of these little ones.

This naturally brings to mind the intense responsibilities we have as leaders both within the church and the world generally to defend the weak and especially young impressionable minds. It also speaks of the consequences of those who cause others to sin.

As the church, not necessarily speaking from a denominational point of view, but rather as the body of Christ universal, the main question is how do we deal with people that place "stumbling blocks" in the paths of others?

As we consider the verses above we see Jesus using a language which I think should be familiar to those who understand the context of being the body of Christ. Jesus uses the metaphor of body parts to speak about how to deal with this kind of sin or person who causes others to sin, that is to cut them off. This kind of language automatically brings me to Paul's letter to the church in Corinth and in particular 1 Corinthians 12 where he refers to the church as one body made up of many different parts.

In the Old Testament the way to deal with those caught in certain sins, those sins consider more weighty such as adultery and the like, it was standard practice to stone those who were caught in the act. By doing so, they would stop the spread of this kind of behaviour. This is a very dramatic and brutal way of dealing with this kind of person and in the New Testament does not reflect God's new way of dealing with people but does give us the urgency of dealing with sin and the need to remove it from our lives and from within the body.

If we therefore see a person within the church as a member or part of the body, and for the sake of scripture call that person the eye or hand, then we can see how Jesus would command us to remove or cut off that person from our fellowship to ensure there behaviour does not continue to cause others to follow suit.

A similar example can be found in 1 Corinthians 5:5 where Paul commands those with immoral behaviour to be "handed over to the devil" so that they might repent an later have their souls saved. In doing so we separate ourselves from the potential influence of sin but even more importantly allow the rest of the body to live Holy and Godly lives as the Lord has commanded.

In closing I would like to bring a balance to these verses by adding another responsibility we have in restoring where possible those who have sinned to their relationship and communion both with the Lord and the body of Christ. Matthew 18:15-17 speaks of our need to yes expose the sin but for the purpose of seeing that person restored and only when the person refuses to listen, even unto the church, then he is to be treated as a "tax collector".

God Bless