The Sermon on the Mount, Part XI of XL

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TEXT: Continuing with Matthew 5:

29. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.

COMMENTARY: Again, Jesus uses the very dramatic metaphor of "hell"
to describe a horrific state of mind or being. He knew that karma could create many kinds of hell. He was not speaking literally, for he spoke of a "body" going to hell. (The traditional hell is a place for souls only, not for bodies.) But human bodies are deeply intertwined with karma.

Very few disciples ever plucked out an eye because they did not like what they saw! And Jesus, being a gentle moderate, would never encourage such extremist fanaticism. But Jesus wanted to be dramatic, even unforgettable! And this verse does imply strongly that spirituality, with its karma, is much more important than even an eye!
And that is pretty precious! We should all value our spirituality as much as we value our eyes! And we need to prove that we do by investing our time in spiritual learning and action!
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