Wrong! The correct answer is: Castrate yourself.
No wonder we don't hear sermons from the entire New Testament--how many preachers actually take this ghastly advice seriously?! Although some have prudently tried to interpret this as celibacy rather than castration, the early church father Origen read it literally and took a knife to himself. There were entire monastic orders, and church choirs in need of sopranos known as "castrati" based on this teaching of Jesus. Literal or not, the face value of this verse is physical mutilation:
"But he said unto them, all men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs from the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it." (Matthew 19:11-12) The Scholar's Version has: "There are castrated men who castrated themselves because of Heaven's imperial rule. If you are able to accept this (advice), do so." Tragically, every year there are reported cases of Christian followers mutilating themselves because "the bible tells me so."
Leave your family. Wrong answer. Yes, Jesus did encourage followers to leave their families (Mark 10:29-30), but not using that phrase.
Pluck out your eyes. Wrong answer. Yes, Jesus did talk gruesomely about plucking out eyes and cutting off hands (Matthew 5:29), but not using that phrase.
Become poor. Wrong answer. Yes, Jesus did encourage poverty (see Question 31), but not using that phrase.
Correct! Castrate yourself.
No wonder we don't hear sermons from the entire New Testament--how many preachers actually take this ghastly advice seriously?! Although some have prudently tried to interpret this as celibacy rather than castration, the early church father Origen read it literally and took a knife to himself. There were entire monastic orders, and church choirs in need of sopranos known as "castrati" based on this teaching of Jesus. Literal or not, the face value of this verse is physical mutilation:
"But he said unto them, all men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs from the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it." (Matthew 19:11-12) The Scholar's Version has: "There are castrated men who castrated themselves because of Heaven's imperial rule. If you are able to accept this (advice), do so." Tragically, every year there are reported cases of Christian followers mutilating themselves because "the bible tells me so."
Leave your family. Wrong answer. Yes, Jesus did encourage followers to leave their families (Mark 10:29-30), but not using that phrase.
Pluck out your eyes. Wrong answer. Yes, Jesus did talk gruesomely about plucking out eyes and cutting off hands (Matthew 5:29), but not using that phrase.
Become poor. Wrong answer. Yes, Jesus did encourage poverty (see Question 31), but not using that phrase.
