Editing Jesus on avoiding sin (section)

== What’s in your heart? ==
In the “Sermon on the Mount” in Chs. 5 & 6 of the Book of Matthew, Jesus teaches that murder starts with anger (Mt 5:21), that adultery is from the heart (Mt  5:27), and that that our hearts reflect what it is we truly treasure (Mt 6:21):

''“For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”''

In other words, our actions have motives, and our motives start with who we really are. If we look into our hearts, we can find -- and fix -- what is leading us to sin. From Matthew Ch. 15 (Mt 15:19):

''“For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, unchastity, theft, false witness, blasphemy.”''

The "occasion of sin"
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; width=35%; margin-left:20px;"
| colspan="2" |'''Interpreting through the  "Senses of Scripture"'''
|-
|Literal (textual)
|gouge your eye,  
cut off your hand
|-
|Allegorical  (metaphorical)
|cut off your  source/s of sin
|-
|Moral  (right v. wrong)
|we are too weak  to resist temptation, 
so we must avoid the temptation itself
|-
|Anagogical (where  does it lead us?)
|by avoiding  sin, 
we will avoid "Gehenna" (hell)
|}
The "occasion of sin" is the opportunity, place, or inducement of the moment of sin. By avoiding the occasion, we can avoid the sin. In the “[[Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes & Woes|Sermon on the Mount]]”, Jesus advises that we avoid sin by distancing ourselves from it. In what in the literal sense seems harsh, in Mt 5:29-30 he says,

''"If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.”''

Here Jesus tells us powerfully how to avoid sin: ''avoid its occasion''.