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The Heart of the Matter:

Redefining Discipleship

Saturday, July 20, 2024

"If your right eye causes you to sin, tear ​it out and throw it away. For 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. For it is ​better that you lose one of your members ​than that your whole body go into hell."

– Matthew 5 : 29-30 ESV

Reflection:

This passage from the Sermon on the Mount is one of the most misunderstood ​verses in the Bible. For years, I believed Jesus was using hyperbole to stress the ​seriousness of sin, urging us to take radical steps to eliminate anything that causes ​us to stumble. This interpretation is commonly echoed by pastors, emphasizing the ​drastic measures we should take to avoid sin. While this perspective holds truth, a ​deeper, more profound meaning lies beneath the surface, and it is truly mind-​blowing.

Consider the verse immediately preceding this one, where Jesus mentions the heart: ​"But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already ​committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:28 ESV). The major purpose of ​the Sermon on the Mount is to show that our actions are like fruit, growing from the ​tree of our heart.

Imagine a lustful man who, in his quest to rid himself of sin, cuts off his hand after ​touching a woman inappropriately. Then, realizing he can still lust with his eyes, he ​gouges them out. Even after cutting off his tongue to stop speaking sinful things and ​his ears to avoid hearing them, he still finds that sin persists. The problem is clear: ​he can’t cut out the part of him that truly causes him to sin.

Jesus' message here is radical: to truly rid yourself of sin, you would have to cut out ​your heart. And that is precisely what He offers to do for us. In Ezekiel 36:26-27 ​ESV, God promises, "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within ​you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of ​flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be ​careful to obey my rules."

Application to Discipleship:

Christianity is not about mere behavior modification; it's about heart transformation. ​This transformation is not something we can achieve on our own. It is the work of ​Christ in us, changing our hearts and filling us with His Spirit. As disciples, our journey ​is not about trying harder to be good or cutting off sinful actions one by one. Instead, it ​is about surrendering to Jesus, allowing Him to transform our hearts, and letting His ​Spirit guide our thoughts and actions.

True discipleship means embracing this heart transformation. It is about living a life so ​rooted in Christ that our actions naturally bear the fruit of His Spirit. It is about daily ​inviting Jesus to cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, and lead us on the path of ​righteousness.

Let us commit ourselves to this deeper understanding of discipleship. Let us focus not ​just on changing our behaviors, but on allowing Jesus to transform our hearts. For it is ​through this heart transformation that we will truly walk in His ways and reflect His ​love to the world.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, we acknowledge that we cannot rid ourselves of sin through our own ​efforts. We need You to transform our hearts. Remove our hearts of stone and give ​us hearts of flesh. Fill us with Your Spirit, and guide us to live as true disciples, ​bearing the fruit of Your love and righteousness. Amen.