In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus tells us that "if your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out ands throw it away...And if your right hand causes you to sin cut it off and throw it away". In December 2001 a Philipino man, Roland Magispoc took Jesus' instruction quite literally. His wife had left him three years earlier and he had struggled to control his lust. So one December Tuesday he grabbed a machete and cut off his penis. As those in the house rushed to his aid and with Roland in great pain he explained he had cut off his penis because it was causing him to sin and pleaded with them to avoid sexually explicit movies and pornography.
Application: bible, bible interpretation, bible application. Although commendable for his zeal in combating sin Roland made the mistake of taking literally a piece of the bible that was not intended literally. One of Jesus' favourite devices for making his point was exaggeration (hyperbole). By painting a dramatic and radical picture Jesus called us to decisive and radical action. Interpreting the bible calls us to recognise the literary and rhetorical devices being used. Failure to do so can result in terrible outcomes such as those of Roland.
Application: commitment, discipleship, holiness, sin, temptation. Although commendable for his zeal in combating sin Roland made the mistake of taking literally a piece of the bible that was not intended literally. One of Jesus' favourite devices for making a point was exaggeration (hyperbole). By painting a dramatic and radical picture Jesus called us to decisive and radical action. Interpreting the bible calls us to recognise the literary and rhetorical devices being used. Failure to do so can result in terrible outcomes such as those of Roland. However far more terrible would be a failure to appreciate the point Jesus is making, to fail to see sin as something that must be dealt with through radical, decisive and even costly action.
Source: Reported in the Manila Times Internet Edition, December 7, 2001