Be perfect...

Today’s scripture:

1. Therefore, you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)

2. Therefore, be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. (Luke 6:36)

Do you want to be perfect? Well, I got to tell you; I often struggle with trying to make things look perfect. I think to myself at times, if I get this to look perfect, people will be in awe of my work and think I’m amazing. Now, I don’t directly think that in my mind and say those things but when I really meditate on why I try so hard, that is what I come up with, and that my friend, is pride!

Today we are looking into the eighth topic on the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus is teaching, which is “Love your Enemies”. In Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

I find today’s two scriptures very interesting. In Matthew, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “you shall be perfect”. But then in the same sermon in Luke Jesus says, “Be merciful”. And in this context, Jesus is talking about loving your enemies. In the eyes of the world, we see this idea as being a weak spineless type of attitude letting people walk all over you. But that is not weakness. In fact, it is just the opposite! See, to love your enemies takes a huge strong attitude of meekness. Meekness is not a weak thing; rather it is strength under control.

See, to be perfect is to be perfect in love, because perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). Fear of what? Maybe fear of being humiliated hurt physically or emotionally. It could be a fear of you being seen as a weak person, but that is not meekness. Meekness is ignoring that anger welling up inside you and CHOOSING to do the right thing… LOVE! PERFECT LOVE!!! And that kind of strength only comes from God.

What about the second verse of today’s scripture in Luke? Why does Jesus say to be merciful in this passage and to be perfect in Matthew’s passage? I believe the love Jesus is referring to is the agape type of love. The kind of love that surpasses all understanding and goes beyond what the world perceives as being a good person. See, Jesus says even the most evil people love those who love them back, but it takes meekness to love perfectly!

Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. (1 John 4:17–21)

Reflection:

Loving our enemies is not an easy thing to do! It takes a tremendous act on our part to die to self. In other words, we need to put our own desires, wants, wishes and feelings aside ignoring them as we beat that “old man” into submission and obey God’s command to love them anyway. The precious Lord Jesus lays out in this sermon how we need to treat those who hate us. Go the extra mile, turn the other cheek, and offer the shirt off your back if needed.

Challenge:

Are there people in your life that rub you the wrong way? Or maybe, since that argument you had weeks or even months ago needs some healing, you can go to them and ask for their forgiveness even if you feel you were right. Humble yourself, take on the attitude of meekness and die to your way of thinking, offer them your friendship again, and treat them with gentleness and love. After all, isn’t that what God has done for you so many times?

-Doug McGowan