Neville Goddard on Matthew 5:27-30 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Matthew 5 in context

Scripture Focus

27Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

28But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

29And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

30And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

Matthew 5:27-30

Biblical Context

Jesus raises the law from external behavior to inner condition. Lust is conceived in the heart, and true purity follows the state of consciousness you hold.

Neville's Inner Vision

Inside this word, the letter of old law gives way to the living condition you carry as I AM. Lust is not merely an act but a vibration in your inner atmosphere—the belief that you are defined by what tempts you. The eye and the hand in this teaching are symbols of inner faculties: attention and impulse. To pluck out the eye or cut off the hand is not a physical command against the body, but a decisive act of inner revision: withdraw your attention from the tempting image, and withdraw your energy from the habitual response. You do not fight the world; you re-create your state of consciousness. Assume the purity you wish to dwell in, and see yourself as the witness who does not consent to the image. When the mental image loses its charge, the old behavior loses its motive. The kingdom of heaven is not a place far off; it is the realized I AM within, imagination in action. By resting in that self, you empower the change that produces outer conduct in alignment with inner truth.

Practice This Now

In a moment of temptation, close your eyes and declare I AM pure now. Then dwell in the witness state and imagine the image fading, replacing it with the experience of inner quiet.