If Matthew 5:29-30 is both literally and figuratively true as a parable, then it would appear that when Jesus tells us to take up our cross to follow Him He is actually telling us to cut off our hands and gouge out our eyes. The problem with leaning upon this interpretation is that a person would run out of hands and eyes after the first four days of being saved. After all, Jesus did say to DAILY take up our cross.
The only way for a literal hand and eye to cause someone to be entrapped is during the threat of persecution. This is when violent men threaten to take the hands and eyes of peacemakers unless Jesus is renounced. That is when Matthew 10:31-39 comes into play.
Matthew 10:31-39 31 "So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. 32 "Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. 33 "But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. 34 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 "For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; 36 and A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. 37 "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 "He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.
Pretty scary huh! We either protect our hands and eyes and loose eternal life or we loose our hands and eyes and gain eternal life. So, why on earth does this passage start with "DO NOT FEAR?" One reason is that worry does not add a single day to our lives, Matthew 6:25. The more important reason is:
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
That's it!!!!! The weaker we are in Christ the stronger His power is in our lives and the more glory He receives. Don't forget the phrase "I am with you" appears 18 times in the NASB95 version of the Holy Bible. 13 out of the 18 are in the Old Testament. All 13 of these verses are in the context of the command to not fear because God is with you for the purpose of deliverance. The very first time this phrase appears in the Gospels it is at the moment right before the ascension in Matthew 28:20. The context is the same. Do not fear and go into the field to harvest and God will deliver you even from serpents, poisons and physical afflictions Mark 16:15-18; Matthew 10:7-8.
Remember the sons of God do what they see the Father doing, John 5:19 and that we are commanded to imitate His faith who has gone before us, Hebrews 13:7. This means that John 14:12 IS TRUE and we are commanded to do likewise as in Luke 7:18-23. So do not fear the enemy like Jonathan in 1 Samuel 14:7 because you have to be in the battle to be delivered from the enemy!
That is why our burden is light and it is easy to let others chop off our hands or gouge out our eyes. Our battle is not with flesh and blood but with mind:
Ephesians 6:10-12 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
When we are weak, HE is strong because of 2 Chronicles 32:8 which is a promise for the sons of God. While God is delivering His sons of light from mortal enemies they get to lay on hands and do battle against our spiritual enemies. How LIGHT is that!!!!!! Pun intended.
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