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The Daily Devotional
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
The Open Door: Why Repentance Means Change
“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 for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” — Matthew 5:29
Introduction
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus invites us into a kingdom that operates differently than the world we know. In Matthew 5:21–37, He takes familiar commandments—"You shall not murder," "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not swear falsely"—and peels back the surface layers to expose the heart.
Jesus reveals that God isn't merely interested in behavior modification or technical compliance. He is interested in the source of our actions. He traces murder back to unaddressed anger, adultery back to unchecked lust, and dishonesty back to a lack of integrity. This passage challenges our definition of repentance. We often think repentance is simply feeling guilty or saying "I'm sorry." But Jesus calls us to something far more liberating: a change of mind that leads to a change of direction.
Reflection
When we read Jesus’ words about tearing out an eye or cutting off a hand, we might flinch at the severity. Is He speaking literally? No, but He is speaking seriously. He is diagnosing a fatal condition of the heart that requires radical surgery, not just a bandage.
There is a haunting historical story that perfectly illustrates the tragedy of refusing this kind of change. In his history of the Plantagenets, The Three Edwards, Thomas Costain recounts the story of Raynald III, a 14th-century duke in what is now Belgium. Raynald was known as "Crassus" or "the Fat" due to his immense size. After a violent quarrel, his younger brother Edward led a revolt and captured him.
Edward did not execute Raynald. Instead, he built a room around him in the Nieuwkerk castle with windows and a door that were never locked. The door was standard size, but Raynald was not. Edward told his brother he could regain his freedom and his title the moment he was willing to walk out the door. However, Edward knew his brother’s weakness. Every day, he sent a variety of delicious, rich foods to Raynald’s room.
Raynald was not technically a prisoner of the castle; he was a prisoner of his own appetite. To escape, he only needed to change his habits and slim down. Instead, he stayed in that room for ten years, growing larger and larger, eating the very things that kept him captive. When he was finally released, his health was ruined, and he died shortly after. He had stayed in a prison with an open door because he refused to change.
We look at Raynald with pity, yet how often do we mirror his situation? The door to freedom is wide open. Through the cross, Christ has unlocked the cell; there is no condemnation for those who are in Him. Yet, we often remain stuck in patterns of anger, secret indulgences, or bitterness.
Consider the modern struggle with the "digital appetite." You might find yourself late at night, the house quiet, bathed in the blue glow of a phone screen. You know you should sleep, or pray, or connect with your spouse. But there is a pull to "just one click"—whether that leads to doom-scrolling, gossip, illicit images, or simply numbing out. You feel the conviction to stop. You might even feel sorry that you’re wasting your life. But if you don't put the phone in another room (the modern equivalent of "tearing out the eye"), you are Raynald. You are eating the food that keeps you too spiritually weighed down to walk through the door of purpose God has for you.
Jesus is teaching us that "cheap grace"—the idea that we can have forgiveness without transformation—is a trap. True repentance is costly. It requires us to say "no" to the appetite (be it lust, rage, or dishonesty) so we can say "yes" to the freedom. It means cutting off the fuel source of our sin. Repentance isn't just crying over the mess; it is cleaning it up and walking a new way.
Application
Repentance is empowered by God’s grace, but it requires our participation. It is an active turning. Here are three concrete practices for the next 24 hours to help you move from "feeling sorry" to "making a change":
1. Identify and Remove the Trigger: If your struggle is with lust or distraction, take Jesus’ advice on "tearing it out" seriously. For the next 24 hours, install a physical boundary. If you doom-scroll in bed, leave your phone in the kitchen overnight. If a specific app causes you to stumble, delete it for the day. Do not rely on willpower; rely on a blocked path.
2. The "Pause and Pray" Rule for Speech: Jesus warns against anger and insults (Matt 5:22). Today, if you feel your temperature rising in traffic or during a tense conversation at work, institute a mandatory 10-second pause. Before you honk, type the retort, or speak the sarcastic comment, pray: “Lord, control my tongue and calm my heart.” Choose silence over regret.
3. Reconcile Quickly: Jesus says if you remember your brother has something against you, leave your gift at the altar and go be reconciled (Matt 5:23–24). Is there a text you need to send or a call you need to make to clear the air? Don't let pride keep you in the "prison cell" of a broken relationship. Do it today.
Conclusion
The good news of the Gospel is not just that the door is unlocked, but that Jesus stands ready to help us walk through it. He does not shame us for our past failures; He invites us into a future of wholeness.
Remember, repentance is not a punishment; it is a privilege. It is the God-given ability to change your mind and your direction. Do not be like Raynald, staying captive to a life that is too small for you when the door to God’s kingdom stands open. Embrace the change, accept the grace, and walk free.
Prayer
Gracious and Holy God, thank You for the open door of salvation. I confess that too often I have been content to sit in the comfort of my old habits, nursing my anger, feeding my desires, and excusing my lack of integrity. Forgive me for choosing the "food" of this world over the freedom of Your Spirit. Give me the courage to make the hard changes today—to cut off what harms me and to pursue what heals me. May my "yes" be "yes" to You, and my life be a reflection of Your transforming love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Devotional by: Kenny Sallee, ThM — Deming, NM, USA
The Bible texts are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) Bible, copyright © 1989, 1993, the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
