34. Sermon on the Mount Secrets - Why did Jesus only Mention the Right Eye and Hand?

If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge 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. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut 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. (Matthew 5:29, 30)

Jesus did not preach mutilation of one’s body but wanted to stress the seriousness with which we need to deal with sin. One need not literally remove his eye if it causes him to stumble, because a blind man can also lust after a woman. Jesus tried to impress on the reader’s heart that the eternal health of the soul is much more valuable than the temporary health of the body. He wanted us to realize the serious consequences of sin.

If we look carefully at this passage though, we see that there is more to it than meets the eye. It intrigues me that Jesus mentioned both the right eye and the right hand. He literally referred to the right side of the body. Metaphorically, that is a place of honour or authority. The eye is often a metaphor for the mind, and the hand can be a symbol of help, as in a helping hand.

Since the body can also denote a number of people closely united or a family, we can conclude that this passage can refer not only to an individual stumbling because of sin, but also to the body of Christ. Jesus seems to say that if a person teaches or helps from a position of authority and causes the body of believers to stumble, he should be cut off from the body and cast away before he causes them to lose direction and end up in hell. The Lord specifically mentioned the right eye and hand because people will listen to and believe only those who speak with authority.

Without unity, an organization, whether secular of Christian, is weak. We see it many times in politics. If a group of people manages to work together, they have a strong system. It does not matter whether the system is effective or not, they will stay in power as long as they work together. Therefore Jesus and the Epistles stress at several occasions the importance of working together.

However, people, in our selfish nature, have often partnered with the enemy in his strategy to divide the Church. For example, the Bible is interpreted in many different ways concerning such issues as baptism, pre-destination and the working of the Holy Spirit. Often, different churches spend too much time protecting their precious viewpoints, being too proud to compromise on their differences, instead of working together to accomplish the Great Commission. Selfish ambition, pride, and love of money and power often cause people to follow their own agenda rather than God’s. As a result, the Body of Christ consists of hundreds of small bodies, each with its own head.

Jesus spoke to the apostles in this passage. He gave them part of the blueprint of a perfect church. Had they and their disciples stayed with the blueprint, the Body would have remained in unity and would have been a power to be reckoned with. But the strength of carnal desires combined with the enemy’s energetic temptations caused the church to divide. The enemy used our selfishness to create doctrines and powers that divided the church. Roman Catholicism, for example, had been used to pollute the pure gospel that was preached and practiced up to that point. Even after the Reformation, parts of the church have not returned to that same purity, maintaining some of the doctrines introduced by Roman Catholicism. 

Apart from this, there have always been and will always be agents planted in the church who will cause the church to stumble and divide. These men and women influence fellow church members to believe false doctrines and often tear away part of the church to follow them. These agents don’t always realize that they are playing into the enemy’s hands. They think they are right and even that they are doing well. They are properly deceived.

It is the church’s responsibility to discern the deception and handle it according to Matthew 18:15-17: “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two brothers along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”

These are the ”eyes” and “hands” that need to be gouged out and cut off in order to protect the body of Christ from decay. It is important that the discerners of these actions have the courage to alert the leadership in order to have the person dealt with.

We are not talking only about wrong doctrines, but also the causing of the members to be passive, introspective, or lukewarm. These are often greater dangers. If the church doctrine causes its members to be content with their spiritual condition (in other words a belief that everybody who is ”good” is okay and will go to heaven) people are deceived and are often on their way to hell without knowing it. Such people become introspective, looking after only one another, not concerned about a lost world. They believe that as long as we adopt the church’s doctrines, we are okay, and it doesn’t matter whether you know Jesus or not. Such deception usually does not preach salvation and the need to make a decision to follow Jesus, to be born again. In such a case, we find that the deception is vast and is not caused by an individual in the local church anymore. This is a purposeful satanic attempt to blind people and church organizations to God’s only plan of salvation: to become a new creation in Christ Jesus through rebirth.

Some of these “eyes” and “hands” within the international church are so vast, with whole church organizations taking people to hell, that it would be impossible to gouge them out of the body. In such cases, it would be better to “gouge” lost souls from them. Intensive prayer for those church leaders to change and for the souls in the church to find salvation would make a difference. The Holy Spirit wants the church always to be alive and progressive and will always alert somebody to do something about dangers in the church.

Just as we, who obey Jesus, should be the salt that deals with the degradation of this earth, so we need to deal with deception within the church. Many innocent people are being misdirected and miss the fullness they could have in Jesus. Some even miss out on salvation. These are our responsibility.

            Jesus wants each of us to consider His Kingdom as important and to be more involved in taking care of it. Ex Unitate Vires – Unity brings Might.

For children and adults who are prepared to learn in a childlike way. For more information see http://t-a-c.co.za.

33. Sermon on the Mount Secrets - What is the issue about Pornography?

You have heard that it was said, Do shall not commit adultery.” But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:27, 28)

Why has pornography become such an issue? Not only do sales soar, but the offer of free pornography on the Internet is vast as well. Since the world’s main motivation is money, why do so many people give away as much pornography as possible?

Why are a few pornographic pictures such an issue? Why does pornography enslave men as drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes do? Men who are enslaved by it can’t live without it. They have to see more and more, worse and worse and more perverse. The temptation can be continual, especially for Christian men who had been enslaved before they were saved. A married man may experience more excitement and stimulation from it than when he looks at his wife. Why would this be?

The devil always entices people to sin in areas that are serious to God, because God hates sin. The most severe issues of sin and crime in this world are direct disobedience to the Ten Commandments: murder, theft, adultery, using God’s name in vain, and so on. Not all of them are classified as crime, but society considers all as sin or moral crime. Every rule God gave us is for our benefit. Satan opposes God by enticing us to sin in order to displease his enemy, God. Therefore, evil forces work hard to enslave men in pornography because Jesus has uttered the words in the passage under discussion, which is a serious issue to God.

Some of the Old Testament commandments were made even stricter by Jesus’ teachings and commands. Up to the moment of the Sermon on the Mount, adultery occurred only if a man slept with a woman other than his wife or a woman slept with a man other than her husband. With Jesus’ new law, looking lustfully at another also became adultery, a rule for Satan to break.

What is lusting after a woman? When does looking at a woman become adultery? Are we as Christian men not allowed to have some joy from the beauty of life? The Afrikaans translation says that if you look at a woman and desire her, you commit adultery. Yes, a man can look at a beautiful woman and appreciate her, but the danger lies in the thought life and the way we look at her. Naturally, it is impossible to look at a naked woman and not have a desire after her physically, but looking at beautiful, clothed women also holds its dangers.

What does one think when one looks at a woman lustfully? In the case of an unmarried man, he wonders what it would be like to sleep with her. In the Lord’s mind, this man has already slept with her. A married man might compare the woman with his wife and desires certain aspects of the other woman’s beauty which he doesn’t find in his wife. Pornography controls a man’s mind.

God made His laws and rules not to control or manipulate people, but to protect them. The health laws in the Old Testament, such as not eating pork, were made to protect people against illness.

Adultery pollutes the relationship between spouses and future spouses, because a man does not forget what he saw and experienced. What would a woman do if she found out her husband slept with another woman? How would she feel? How would a woman feel if she knew her husband constantly thinks of other women while with her?

Adultery is sin and brings division between people and God. If we are separated from God, Satan has an open door to influence our relationships and emotions, and unhappiness is the result. Torturous guilt feelings and controlling temptations make that man’s life unbearable. To relieve this pressure, that man often yields to temptation, and in the end, this sin becomes an idol controlling his life.

Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. (John 14:23,24a)

Therefore, my dear brothers, let’s consider our wives if we are tempted to desire other women. And sisters in Christ, please consider your brothers when you (and your daughters) dress for church activities and wherever you go. Not all Christian men are tempted equally with adultery of the thoughts, but those who have the problem have enough suffering resisting this sin in the world, let alone having it in church. Please pray for our brothers in this suffering. Pray that He will not let them be tempted beyond their ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that they may be able to endure it (1 Corinthians 10:13). Pray that the Lord's power will be made perfect in their weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). And be careful to judge them, lest you yourself may be judged (Matthew 7:1-2) for all of us have some sort of plank in our own eyes (Matthew 7:3-5).

This weakness is not easy to admit for fear of judgment and rejection, therefore the other servants should have open hearts, allowing such brothers to receive help and healing. Their burden is none different than that of a drug addict; it’s just less visible.  

For children and adults who are prepared to learn in a childlike way. For more information see http://t-a-c.co.za.

32. Sermon on the Mount Secrets - Should I Prosecute?

Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. (Matthew 5:25, 26) 
Jesus used the scenario of going to court here, but the principle applies to any disputes you may have with people.

God’s Kingdom functions on a completely different system than that of the world. The world believes in the survival of the strongest and that the greater you become, the more acceptable you are. It believes that the richer you are, the more popular and influential you are, and that you will be remembered according to the amount of power you have.

God’s Kingdom says that whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted (Matthew 23:12). If your enemy takes you to court, you have two options: act according to the world’s principles or God’s principles. You either play tough and proud, exalting yourself, or you humble yourself. If you choose the world’s principles, you submit yourself to the world’s judgment and ruthlessness. If you choose to live by the Spirit, by God’s principles, He will overrule the world on your behalf. In John 16:33, Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” In other words, there is nothing in this world that Jesus can’t handle; therefore, if you rely on Him to deal with the trouble the world gives you, you will have peace.

I have had occasions in which I stood before the choice: should I prosecute or should I forgive? I chose to forgive. A number of times it involved a lot of money, which I lost. On the other hand, I have had occasions where I have wronged people, but then I called on the Lord, praying this word He gave me: “Because I love you, You said, Lord, that You will rescue me. You will protect me, for I acknowledge Your name. I call upon You, and You will answer me; You will be with me in trouble; You will deliver me and honour me. With long life will You satisfy me and show me Your salvation. Please rescue and protect me Lord, (Psalm 91:14-16).

 Every time, the Lord came through for me, rescuing me from the unthinkable. I have sown humility and forgiveness. Because it pleased the Lord, and since it is according to His Word and will, I have reaped forgiveness. This has given me some stunning testimonies.

          That is why Jesus said to come to terms quickly with your accuser. In other words, you must be the least. Humble yourself and adopt a give-and-take attitude. Pride often causes stubbornness. Then our decisions are dictated by our pride. These decisions are usually unwise and lead to mistakes. Humility, on the other hand, pleases the Lord and prompts Him to exalt you and judge in your favour. If we act in pride and arrogance, the Lord steps out of the way. Then our adversary may hand us over to the judgement of the worldly system.

Christians are pilgrims in a foreign world, sent from a different Kingdom. As with any tourist or immigrant, we have to interact with the locals. In this case, however, the Christian acts according to the behaviour principles of his King and not that of the foreign world, because the King supports His principles.

For children and adults who are prepared to learn in a childlike way. For more information see http://t-a-c.co.za.