In the last part of the Gospel text we have been reflecting on this week, Jesus uses the metaphor of cutting off your hand or foot or plucking out your eye. He is trying to make us aware of things that, we could say, come from inside of us, that are stumbling blocks to living our lives faithfully and flourishing in the love of God and our neighbours.
Our hands, feet, and eyes can do immense good - we can use our hands to help others, our feet to bring good news, and our eyes to recognise the beauty of creation around us. But, as Jesus warns, we can also use them for destruction. When our inner disposition or attitude is incompatible with God’s vision, we must have the courage to confront that.
Jesus invites us to “cut away” our
attitudes or ideas incompatible with our vocation to follow him. We must cut away the finger that points at another in arrogance, trying to impose our will, the eyes that look at another with envy or anger, or the feet that run to seek vengeance. Whoever does not do this risks being “thrown into hell” (Mark 9:47).
Framed another way: Attitudes and dispositions that lead us away from God need to be “amputated” so that we do not
waste time and the chance to grow in love of God. The time we waste, we can never get back. God invites us to spend our lives growing in love rather than ruining our own lives - and the lives of others - by attitudes that do not bring life.
What attitudes or dispositions that are not leading you to love God and others do you need to examine and perhaps seek to “cut away”? As we come to the end of this week, reflecting
on this passage of Scripture, what has God asked you to do?
Reflections by Russell Pollitt SJ
