And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away from you, for it is better for you that one of your members perish than that your whole body fall into Gehenna.
In this saying Jesus uses a symbolic and forceful image to emphasize the decisiveness of turning away from sin: if something or a relationship becomes a cause of sin, one must leave it without hesitation, even if it is very painful. The “right hand” symbolizes what a person considers his most precious possession or strongest side, yet if it tempts him toward sin, it is necessary to renounce it rather than lose the whole soul. This teaching shows that spiritual purity and eternal life are incomparably higher than temporary comforts. The path of the kingdom of God requires courage: to cut oneself off from sin even when it is tied to a person’s beloved habits or attachments.