Reflection on Mt 5:29

Jesus speaks here about temptations and about the way of fighting them. The major battlefield is our mind. The devil attacks our mind through temptations more than anything else. This fight is relentless and does not stop as long as we are alive. You cannot allow thoughts to cross your mind as they like. We are accountable to God for every thought that crosses our mind, so we need to stop it and carefully check if this thought is obedient to Christ. We learn from the Scripture as well as from the experience of the saints that whatever communication between human and demonic powers takes place in the human mind. Every demonic temptation which seduces man is targeted on the human mind. The enemy also exploits the human body in order to win man over to his side and to win his approval. Therefore, at every moment of his tempting the enemy develops a certain thought, e.g. he arouses envy, anger or hatred.

Repentance is nothing else than “a change of mind”. God wants to renew our mind, that we may glorify Him not only by our way of life but by our way of thinking as well. Many people received Jesus and the grace of God with a sincere heart at the beginning but with the course of time they hardened their hearts, grew self-willed, slid into the previous sinful life, and some even turned away from the way of salvation because they neglected their way of thinking. Therefore it is necessary to fight for the purity of mind as well as of our sight and feelings. When you notice that you no longer have control over your thoughts, be aware that your thoughts are under the control of the enemy. God wants man to have control of himself and, with God’s help, to have control of his natural talent, and especially of his mind. Jesus teaches us that in spiritual battle with the enemy we must not dialogue with the temptation but resist it radically – pluck it out and cast it from our mind. This principle is vitally important in the struggle against impure temptations.

A) “If your right eye causes you to sin…”

What Jesus means here is an inner eye – human mind, thoughts. Temptations come to us in the form of thoughts, images, feelings… and they come from the devil, from this world (through the internet, television, fashion, music…) and from our corrupt nature – the old self (lusts of the flesh).

1) Who tempted Jesus in the wilderness?

Lk 4:2 “…being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing…”

2) How is each person tempted?

Jam 1:14 “Each person is tempted by his own desires as they lure him away and trap him.”

3) What does Jesus say about people through whom temptations come?

Lk 17:2 “It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.”

4) Can a temptation come upon us which is more than a human being can stand?

1Cor 10:13 “None of the temptations which have come upon you is more than a human being can stand.”

5) Who makes us able to endure the temptation?

1Cor 10:13 “God is faithful. He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but He will also give you the ability to endure the temptation.”

B) “…pluck it out and cast it from you…”

Jesus gives here the rule of fighting a temptation. This rule is vitally important in the fight with impurity. When, for example, an impure image or thought tempts you, you must not communicate with it but you must radically resist it at once – pluck it out and cast it from your mind. What can help you is a prayer of faith and the power of God’s fire which burns up every impure image or thought and purifies our mind. Offer resistance to the sinful thought or image and say in faith: “Lord Jesus, let Your fire come down from heaven and consume this thought!”

1) Who can deliver us out of temptations?

2Pe 2:9 “The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations…”

2) What to do in temptation?

Acts 2:21 “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Psalm 116:4 “Then I called upon the name of the Lord: ‘O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!”

3) What did Jesus do to deliver us?

Gal 1:4 “He gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.”

4) What armour should we take up to overcome temptation?

Eph 6:16-17 “Above all, take the shield of faith with which you can quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

5) Who do we struggle against?

Eph 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

6) What should we do with our eyes in temptation?

Psalm 119:37 “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things.”

Psalm 141:8 “My eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord; in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenceless!”

7) What should we do so as not to enter into temptation?

Mk 14:38 “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.”

8) What do we ask for from the Heavenly Father in the Lord’s Prayer?

Mt 6:13 “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

C) “…than for your whole body to be cast into hell.”

Jesus warns us against eternal perdition in hell. We know neither the day nor the hour of our death! We must be ready for death every day! Our death will be followed by God’s Judgement when God will judge our deeds, words, thoughts and intentions, and when our eternity will be decided – either eternal damnation in hell or eternal happiness in heaven! The thought of death and of hell fire puts the fear of God into us and gives us the strength to overcome temptation.

1) What torments await man in hell?

Lk 16:23-24 “And being in torments in Hades, he (the rich man) lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham … send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’”

Mk 9:47-48 “It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire – where ‘Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’”

2) Can those who are in hell return?

Job 7:9 “As a cloud vanishes and is gone, so he who goes down to the grave does not return.”

3) Can those who are in hell pass to heaven and vice versa?

Lk 16:26 “Abraham said: ‘…between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’”

4) Some theologians assert that hell is not eternal. What does the Scripture say about it?

Mt 25:46 “And these will go away into everlasting punishment…”

Mt 18:8 “…into the everlasting fire.”

5) What is in store for them who have received the mark of the beast?

Rev 14:9-11 “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand … he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night…”

6) Who will be cast into the lake of fire?

Rev 20:15 “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

7) Who will not inherit the kingdom of God?

1Cor 6:9-10 “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.”

8) For whom was hell made?

Mt 25:41 “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels!”

Remember: The fight against temptations takes place above all in our mind. To prevent us from yielding to temptation and sin, Jesus points out the basic rule of fighting: not to dialogue with the enemy but to resist radically – to pluck out the sinful thought, image or feeling and to cast it from our mind. The thought of eternal damnation and hell fire will give you the strength to overcome. This principle is vitally important in the struggle against impure temptations.

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