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Steve Wells ~

SW: ... "Wouldnt it be better for him to do as Jesus says and pluck out his eyes?"

No; I don't think so. That would be like swiping a cobweb, when what should really be done is to squish the spider. Meaning that the physical body parts are not the problem; the problem resides within the individual's nature, which needs to be transformed/renewed.

SW: ... "But dont pretend that Jesus is not saying what he very clearly is saying."

The "if" is just as clear as the rest of His statement.

There once was a controversial church-leader in the 200's, named Origen. He is probably best-known for his allegorical method of interpretation. But in his early days, he tended to follow a more literal approach. As a result, when he interpreted Matthew 19:12, he resolved to emasculate himself, and did. Later on -- I vaguely recall -- he regarded his act as rash.

Jerome (or was it Augustine? Or maybe both.), while he did not do what Origen did, withdrew from society when he felt tempted by various lusts, but he confessed that such isolation did not really solve anything; it just moved the battle from his eyes into his imagination. It was through disciplining himself to focus on God, and His sense of purity and beauty, that he overcame his temptations. I think that is the better course of action, and more in sync with the intent of Jesus' statement.

Yours in Christ,

Waterrock