Jesus and Law (2)

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke of gouging out eyes and cutting of hands.

If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away…
If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away (Matt 5:29-30).

Jesus was using expressions from the Mosaic laws to make a dramatic point, but he did not expect his disciples to take these expressions literally. We should take a similar approach to interpreting the Laws for People. Expressions of harsh physical actions are for emphasis, not for implementation.