Flourishing by Following: The Pain that Saves (Matthew 5:27-30)
Introduction
In 2003, Aron Ralston decided to hike alone through Blue John Canyon in Utah. He was experienced with canyon hiking and felt no need to bring a partner or inform anyone about his adventure. Unfortunately, a freak accident occurred during his trip when a boulder fell and pinned his right arm against the canyon wall. Aron spent several days attempting to free his arm, rationing his supplies, and using his tools in various ways to escape. He recorded his thoughts and feelings in a journal while he struggled to free himself, helping him cope with the pressing awareness of his own mortality. He attempted to use his multi-tool to chisel through the rock, hoping to release his arm. After five days, he realized that in order to survive, he had to free himself from his arm. He used his dull multi-tool to amputate his forearm. The process of cutting through bone and muscle was excruciating. He later rappelled down the canyon, hiked several miles, and found some hikers who alerted rescuers. Aron made a painful sacrifice so he could live.
That story is not as distant from us as we might think. We, too, are trapped. We face a spiritual boulder, a relentless pressure that pins us against the unforgiving wall of our sinful nature. Like Aron, we often face a choice: cling to the familiar comfort of our sin or endure the pain of sacrifice to gain true life. Today, we will see Jesus using strong language that suggests we face a similar decision to the one Aron faced.
Sadly, I’ve witnessed firsthand how we often downplay the severity of sin. I was advising a pastor on how to help a couple in his church who was dealing with multiple affairs in their marriage. I can’t recall if the unfaithful spouse had committed adultery with several different people at work or if they had committed multiple acts of adultery with one person at their workplace. I distinctly remember the problem not being just a singular event. The couple was willing to work on their marriage and not get divorced. I counseled the pastor to ask the offended spouse if they wanted their partner to quit their job. The immediate response surprised me. The pastor said that suggestion was not an option since the unfaithful spouse made too much money. “Too much money?” I don’t believe my suggestion was the only godly option, but I was surprised why that option was dismissed. “Too much money?” A marriage is worth more than a paycheck. A good salary is not worth a healthy marriage. A financial sacrifice is worth the life of a marriage.
Big Idea: Living is worth pain. Pain is awful, and yet it is necessary sometimes to gain something good. We accept the pain of inconveniencing our schedules to go to the gym to get healthier. We endure the pain of relational friction to bring to light an unhealthy habit of a friend. Jesus will encourage us to endure the pain of losing something good to ensure that we gain eternal life.
Passage
Matthew 5:27-30, “27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.”
The Boulder v. 27-28
The boulder that imprisons us, the one that threatens to crush our souls, is sin—not just our outward actions, but the very intent, desires, and affections of our hearts. Sin is embedded inside us. Jesus, in his profound wisdom, internalized God's law, exposing the core of its meaning.
The phrase “You have heard that it was said” likely references the often-incomplete interpretations of the Old Testament law among the Pharisees. Some ancient interpreters believed that the prohibition against adultery only applied to engaging in sexual relations with another Israelite man’s wife. Therefore, sexual relations with a gentile or unmarried person would be deemed permissible. However, this does not imply that adultery was commonplace among Jews in the first century. Due to the strict moral influence of the Pharisees, honor-shame cultural values, and laws punishing sexual immorality, most Jews adhered to the outward demands of the 7th commandment. Jesus' point is that internal adherence to this command is lacking.
Jesus skillfully connects the seventh and tenth commandments, emphasizing the insidious nature of lust. He is not presenting a radically new teaching, but rather a return to the original intent of God’s law. Job 31:9-12 appears to forbid lust and equates it with adultery. One Rabbi cites Job 24:15 to demonstrate that lust is an adulterous act. Jesus is not urging his followers to embrace something new but to return to a righteousness that springs from the heart.
The “look,” as Jesus describes, does not refer to the admiration of beauty or attraction, which is a natural and God-given desire. Instead, it signifies the look of intent—the lingering gaze that fuels desire and sparks the fires of infidelity. The verb tense suggests a continuous action: a look that persists, a contemplation that breeds sin. It is the look that keeps on looking.
Jesus does not suggest that all sins are equal; this would contradict his own words in John 19:11. His point is to highlight the gravity of lust, placing it in the same category as adultery—sinful. He is not equating the two, but emphasizing the inseparability of intention and action in God's eyes.
Lust, similar to the earlier discussion of anger, is a universal struggle. Few can claim to be completely innocent. The following verses highlight the seriousness of this sin and the urgent need for decisive action. We must be prepared to endure pain, to cut away the very sources of our temptation.
The Pain v. 29-30
Jesus’ shocking imagery of self-mutilation is designed to jolt us from our complacency. He is not advocating literal self-harm but highlighting the necessity of removing anything, even something valuable, that leads us into sin. The “right” hand was seen as having greater strength and purity; it was used to greet others, bestow blessings, and establish legal agreements. Jesus referencing the “right” hand and eye shows the appropriateness in his mind of losing something valuable for the sake of one's eternal life. This reinforces the urgency conveyed earlier in verses 23-26.
I don’t believe Jesus is speaking metaphorically; the eye and hand don’t symbolize something else. Jesus uses a hypothetical conditional clause to illustrate the dire importance of removing temptation from our lives. This does not imply that Jesus is promoting self-mutilation. We know that Jesus is speaking hypothetically because the main culprit behind the sin of adultery is neither the eye nor the hand, but the heart. Amputees will still sin, so cutting off limbs won't help. It is better to understand the force of what Jesus commands as hypothetical: “If your right hand could cause you to sin, and it can’t, it would be better for you to endure the pain of cutting it off than to face the pain of eternal judgment.” Mutilation, if it could help and it can’t, is preferable to a life of sin that leads to God’s judgment. Avoiding spiritual ruin is worth any sacrifice, even the loss of a limb.
Conclusion
Living is worth pain. Good things are worth losing if it means we can gain eternal life. Sadly, we lose sight of the deadly nature of sin. Sin didn’t just reach our hearts; it started there. It is intertwined with our very nature and gradually siphons life from our souls. One day, it will drain us completely and leave us dead under the judgment of God unless we cut it out of our lives. Applying the knife to our arm will not be easy; we will want to stop, and we will deceive ourselves by denying the true danger we are in, but we must persist through the pain for the sake of our own lives. The freedom of living requires the pain of sacrifice.
Steps
I remember counseling a young engaged couple grappling with the pain of sexual sin. The boyfriend had sent and received inappropriate self-portraits with another woman through some app or messaging service. I suggested that he either get rid of his smartphone or completely disable its internet capabilities. I was shocked by how strange both of them found my suggestion. This was a recurring problem that I believed required drastic measures. It was hard for me to accept that my idea was so outrageous. Did he really need a smartphone? Was his iPhone more important than his integrity?
Our smartphones are a good thing, but they are not worth our godliness. These devices have turned pornography into a serious spiritual epidemic. Eighty percent of all porn is viewed on mobile phones. Children are receiving these devices at increasingly younger ages. Sadly, seventy-five percent of teens have seen porn, and fifty-eight percent have done so unintentionally. It feels like we all carry a pimp in our pockets, tempting us to exploit others. Our phones are dopamine drug dealers, enticing our engagement and selling our attention to the highest bidder. I acknowledge that there are great goods that come about because of these devices, and I imagine that “right hands” were just as helpful in Jesus' time. How can we pray, “lead me not into temptation,” while routinely leaving ourselves open to it? I’m not suggesting we should break our phones, but we must vigilantly protect ourselves from being broken by them.
How can we do this? Only by the work of the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:13, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Only by the Holy Spirit's work can we loosen sin's grip on our hearts. We must pick up the knife and cut out sin and its causes. It won't be easy, but the Spirit will steady our hands and soothe us through the pain.
Therefore, I urge you: Examine your lives, identify the things that hinder your relationship with God, and with the aid of the Holy Spirit, make the painful yet necessary choices to cut them out. If you are not yet following Jesus, I hope Jesus' words here are clear. He wants you to be free from sin and enjoy eternal life. Are you willing to receive his grace and let him cut you free from the boulder that has you pinned against the wall? Or are you willing to live out the rest of your life on the few rations you have and die on the canyon floor of God’s judgment? To be free of the boulder means losing your arm, but that pain is worth your life.
Life-Level Application
Head: Read James 1:12-15. Jesus connects lust and adultery. How does this relate to the broader context of the Sermon on the Mount and its emphasis on inner righteousness? How does this teaching of Jesus compare to James 1:14-15 on the origin of sin?
Heart: Read Galatians 5:16-24. How does this passage inform your understanding of the Holy Spirit's work in helping believers overcome temptation and sin? In what areas of your life do you need to invite the Holy Spirit’s guidance to cut out sin?
Hand: Read 1 Corinthians 10:13. How does knowing that God provides a way to endure temptation impact your approach to facing challenges? What practical “ways of escape” can you look for and take advantage of when confronted with temptation in the coming week?
Habit: Read Galatians 6:1. How important is having a supportive community when dealing with temptation? What steps can you take to create a safe space for accountability in your relationships?