Jesus is not calling us to self-mutilation, but he is saying that our efforts to root out sin in ourselves need to be as rigorous as it takes, even if it means appearing like a fanatic.
Sin seeks to enslave our bodies, but if we will take on Christ’s yoke we are incorporated into Christ’s body for redemption.
When we encounter the reality of God we are overcome with our own unworthiness, and we are confronted with a choice – to push God away and hide from our self-realization, or to accept God’s gracious invitation to mercy, transformation and mission.
Sin is a seemingly objective force for evil within us that can only be addressed when it’s out in the open before a merciful God.
God uses the experiences of our lives to confront us with our own imperfections and, once so confronted, we are responsible for our growth and change in that area.