Cut It Off

We’d all look a little funny if we actually cut off the things that “cause” us to sin. The Gospel reading this Sunday is one we all know very well, but what’s always interesting to me is that a hand (or computer, bottle of alcohol, etc.) doesn’t actually cause us to sin. It’s the tool that we use to sin. The causes to sin are internal, and much more difficult to remove. Concupiscence is our inherent inclination to sin. Until we redirect our focus from the temporary to the eternal, this inclination is always going to get the better of us. Sure, we can cut off our hand or get rid of our phone (pick your poison), but we’d find another way. We can’t control our desire to sin until we realize that the “rules” are for love and from love, and cutting out the temptations are a way of saying, “I love you,” back to God.