{"id":819,"date":"2019-01-29T06:00:06","date_gmt":"2019-01-29T06:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/nextsteps\/?p=819"},"modified":"2019-01-24T20:19:48","modified_gmt":"2019-01-24T20:19:48","slug":"819","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/nextsteps\/2019\/01\/819.html","title":{"rendered":"What Jesus Meant When He Told Us to Gouge Out Our Eyes"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"unsplash-logoPatrick
Patrick Brinksma<\/span><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The following is a devotion from my message series\u00a010 Steps to Freedom<\/a>. I hope these devotionals help you experience lasting freedom in Jesus!<\/em><\/p>\n

STEP EIGHT: day 2<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Establish\u00a0<\/i>guardrails<\/i><\/b>\u00a0to protect your freedom<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

In Matthew 5, Jesus is preaching through what\u2019s known as the Sermon on the Mount, and tucked in the middle of it is some explosive language that has confounded Christians for 2000 years.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou have heard that it was said, \u2018You shall not commit adultery.\u2019<\/i><\/span> <\/i>But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.\u00a0If your right eye causes you to stumble,\u00a0gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.\u00a0And if your right hand causes you to stumble,\u00a0cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.\u201d<\/i> Matthew 5:27-30<\/span><\/p>\n

No one wants to think about gouging out eyes or cutting off arms, so what is Jesus talking about here? Jesus is employing hyperbole (strategic exaggeration) to illustrate the need for guardrails. Gouging out eyes and cutting off arms seems extreme to most and those are extreme actions, but it symbolizes the extent to which we should go to protect ourselves from sin. If your struggle is with alcohol, for instance, cutting off your arm might be refuse to go anywhere or attend any event where alcohol is served. That\u2019s your guardrail. If your struggle is with internet pornography, for instance, gouging out your eye might be removing the wifi from your house and trading in your smart phone. That\u2019s your guardrail. Jesus knew our need for guardrails. <\/span><\/p>\n

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. What\u2019s the biggest issue that you\u2019ve been struggling with, the issue that\u2019s kept you from freedom for too long?<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. What are some guardrails that other people who\u2019ve struggled with this issue have erected in their lives to protect themselves from serious harm or relapse? These guardrails may seem extreme but they serve a purpose.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    You can read other devotional entries\u00a0for 10 Steps to Freedom\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The following is a devotion from my message series\u00a010 Steps to Freedom. I hope these devotionals help you experience lasting freedom in Jesus! STEP EIGHT: day 2\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Establish\u00a0guardrails\u00a0to protect your freedom In Matthew 5, Jesus is preaching through what\u2019s known as the Sermon on the Mount, and tucked in the middle…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":607,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[316,2],"tags":[369,370,318,368,115],"class_list":["post-819","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-10-steps-to-freedom","category-next-steps","tag-eye","tag-eyes","tag-freedom","tag-gouge","tag-guardrails"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Jesus Meant When He Told Us to Gouge Out Our Eyes - Next Steps<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"One of Jesus' most odd teachings is his command for us to "gouge out our eyes." 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