Throughout the Gospels, Jesus often engages in a verbal technique called hyperbole, the use of deliberate exaggeration to make a point. In contemporary American culture, hyperbole tends to be used by teens and young adults, but not so much by older generations. But in some other cultures, hyperbole is very much a part of daily interaction.
Such was the case in the culture of Jesus, and we must account for his use of hyperbole when we seek to interpret his words. When Jesus tells us to cut off our foot or hand or pluck out our eye if each leads us to sin, he is clearly making use of hyperbole. However, we should not take his words lightly because he is exaggerating. Jesus is highlighting a central aspect of our faith, that God must be central in our lives.
Sins are not the breaking of arbitrary rules but actions that lead us away from God. Sins block out the grace of God in our lives, robbing us of God's infinite love, which is what gives us true joy. Sin is self-sabotage and self-destruction. That is one of the chief reasons we should flee from sin.
In the Gospel passage for this Sunday, Jesus uses admittedly graphic images to warn us against the harmful effect of sin. As the images suggest, even our bodies being maimed would be less terrible for us than what sin does to us on an existential level, because sin can cut us off from God's love eternally. Not because God would want to reject us, but because our choice to sin is a choice to reject God's love.
Our prime focus in life must be to be fully open to God's love and to avoid anything that puts a wedge between us and God. As we strive to uproot sinful behaviors in our lives, we should consider several points. One is that our sinful actions usually begin with thoughts. Before we act, we contemplate the sin in our mind. As we think about the sin we are tempted to commit, we can gradually give assent to it mentally. Once we have accepted the idea internally, the action itself will soon follow. That is why we must guard our thoughts diligently. When sinful thoughts arise, we must uproot them without hesitation.
To turn away from sinful behavior, we also need to avoid what the Church calls the near occasion of sin. If I know that a certain choice or conversation or situation will make it likely that I will end up falling into sin, then I should do my best to nip the problem in the bud before things get out of control. For example, if a person is trying to avoid alcohol, then it is best not to go to a party that will be characterized by drinking. Or if I know that I have a hard time not overindulging in a certain food, then it is best for me not even to bring it into my home.
Another aspect of turning away from sin is that we should not seek to do it through our own strength. We should always reach out to God for help, because only his grace can reform us. To do so, we need to be rooted in the sacramental life of the Church and in a consistent personal prayer life. Frequent reception of the Eucharist and regular Confession are especially important in our quest to overcome sinful habits. When we confess our sins and receive absolution, we are given special graces to help combat the specific sins we are struggling with. Naming our sins out loud during Confession also gives us a reality check as to what our behavior is really like. In doing so, we stop hiding from ourselves and admit openly how we are really acting from day to day.
Another consideration is the old adage "nature abhors a vacuum." Uprooting a self-destructive habit is hard to do unless we put something else in its place. When we are working on overcoming a sinful habit, we should also work on adding a virtuous habit to replace it with. For example, if we struggle with negative exclamations, we can seek to substitute them with short internal prayers instead. Or if we are prone to talking down on others, we should stop and think of the positive attributes of the person instead.
The Gospel reading for this Sunday also warns against leading others into sin, especially those who are still innocent. We must remember that sin is never fully solitary. Our sinful behavior becomes an example for others, which can then lead them into the self-destruction of sin as well. That is why the Church has always considered scandalizing others a grave matter. Indeed, when we truly repent, we feel sorrow not only for the sins we have committed, but for all the ways our sins had led others astray, causing them to fall into darkness. When we become aware of such instances, we should pray for all those we had hurt through our bad example and we should do all we can to repair the damage.
The reason, again, that we should flee from sin is that it separates us from the love of God, which is the only true fulfillment of the human heart. The goal of our existence it to be eternally with God, imbued with his infinite love. When we die, only one thing matters - how fully we have accepted God's love into our hearts. As the passage from the Letter of St. James reminds us, none of the earthly things we strive after matter in the end. Our possessions, our wealth, the things we have stored up - none of these will go with us into the afterlife. As the title of the play says, you can't take it with you. The only thing we can take with us in the moment of death is what we have stored up in our hearts, whether love or hate. Let us live our lives so that our hearts are fully imbued with the love of God when we pass from this life into eternity.
||
The readings for the Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B are:
Nm 11:25-29
Ps 19:8, 10, 12-13, 14
Jas 5:1-6
Mk 9:38-43, 45, 47-48
The full text can be found at the USCCB website.
Photo Credit: The tomb of reknowned sculptur and architent Bernini in the side altar steps of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. (c) 2016 by Zoltan Abraham.