Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 5:30

"And if thy right hand causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body go into hell." — Matthew 5:30 (ASV)

And if your right hand offends you, cut it off, and cast it from you: for it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body should be cast into hell.

The cause of offence may be active, like the hand, rather than intellectual, like the eye; but it is better for us to be hindered in our work than drawn aside into temptation. The most dexterous hand must not be spared if it encourages us in doing evil. We should not allow something merely because it may make us clever and successful. If it frequently causes us to fall into sin, we must be done with it. We should rather place ourselves at a disadvantage for our life-work than ruin our whole being by sin.

Holiness is to be our primary goal; everything else must take a very secondary place. Right eyes and right hands are no longer right if they lead us wrong. Even hands and eyes must go, so that we may not offend our God by them. Yet, no one should read this literally and therefore mutilate their body, as some foolish fanatics have done. The real meaning is clear enough.

The cause of offense may be active like the hand rather than intellectual like the eye, but we had better be hindered in our work than drawn aside into temptation. The most skillful hand must not be spared if it encourages us in doing evil.

It is not because a certain thing may make us clever and successful that therefore we are to allow it. If it should prove to be the frequent cause of our falling into sin, we must put an end to it, and place ourselves at a disadvantage for our life's work, rather than ruin our whole being by sin.

Holiness is to be our first object. Everything else must take a very secondary place.

Right eyes and right hands are no longer right if they lead us wrong. Even hands and eyes must go, so that we may not offend our God by them.

Yet, let no one read this literally and therefore mutilate his body, as some foolish fanatics have done. The real meaning is clear enough. Lord, I love You better than my eyes and hands. Let me never hesitate for a moment to give up all for You!