If thy hand or thy foot offend thee, thine eye offend thee

Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.  For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. (Matthew 18: 8-11)

Jesus spoke to those under the law. When a person commits a crime with his or her body, whether it is a hand or an eye, it does not mean "repent and ask for forgiveness", but it means to eliminate the cause of the crime. However, they do not eliminate the cause (the old man), but believe that "if they repent and confess, God will forgive them." These people are under the law. Even if they insisted, "I have nothing to do with the law," they did not forsake the old man, the reason for the existence of the law.

In order to know why Jesus said this, we need to understand why God gave the Law to the Israelites. The law was given to sinners to understand sin. Israel is a sinner who has left God. If God is with you, you are not a sinner. However, if God is not with you, you become a sinner. Rather than being a righteous person, "God talks and looks at humans," he becomes a righteous person when God is with me. In this case, there is no need for the Ten Commandments, and no law. Because God is in me, God is perfecting itself.

These laws were necessary because God was not with them. Even in this world, the law of God is not necessary for those who are sealed by the Holy Spirit in their hearts through Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul also says in Romans 8: 1-2:『There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 』 The law of sin and death means the law (law of wrath). Condemnation is based on the law, but those who are in Jesus Christ are not the law but the Holy Spirit.

Why did God give this law to the Israelites? In Romans 3: 19-20『Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 』 In Romans 5:13, 『For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 』

Galatians 3:19 『Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. 』 God gave the Israelites a law to help those who left God realize that it is sin to leave God.

Israel is the ones who have left God. However, Israel did not know that God had left. God chose Israel to put it in Egypt to call, and to bring the Passover lamb out of Egypt and into the land of Canaan. What does it mean that the Israelites have left God?

Even though God led Israel like this, the Israelites did not know that they had left God. So, God gave the sanctuary and the temple. "Build a house where God will dwell among you." That is, "Because God does not dwell in you, you must build a temple." The dwelling house, or temple, is a shadow. The reason for giving the temple was to give it with the promise, "I will make you a people and be with you in the future." Until this promise is fulfilled, there is no God in Israel. Although Jesus Christ, the true temple, came into the world, Israel refused to be with God, and Israel was destroyed.