Mutilate to Sanctify? An Analysis of Matthew 5:29–30 in Light of Augustine’s Treatment Harry Scherer
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. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. —Matthew 5:29–30
E
ven for the trained Scriptural exegete, it is understandable that these two verses from Matthew could cause difficulty for readers. These confusions are to be expected, and our Lord’s demand to instruct the ignorant (Matt 28:19–20) requires those who know to teach and clarify the true meaning of even the most difficult passages of Scripture. For this reason, the anticipated confusions will be outlined and provided a charitable interpretation so as to engage with these difficulties and in this way provide a clearer path to understanding. Then, it will be beneficial to briefly survey both early and modern exegetes so as to better understand the depth of this teaching; the exegesis of Augustine will be paid particular attention. Finally, the force of Augustine’s interpretation will be evaluated and the contemporary pastoral relevance of properly understanding this passage will be confirmed and detailed. The first clear source of confusion for this passage is the possibility that our Lord is encouraging self-mutilation as a means of avoiding or curtailing vicious behavior. A literal interpretation of the Scripture immediately suggests that Christ would encourage his disciples to pluck out their eye or cut off their hand if one of those members “causes [them] to sin.” Although it is ultimately erroneous to interpret the Scripture in such a way, this interpretation should not be dismissed without consideration. After all, taken literally, this demand of our Lord could serve as a sign that a member of the Church
