“You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matt.
5:48).”
I just finished watching one of those competitive races on television,
where couples take on various challenges over a series of several weeks, hoping
to win a million dollars. Inevitably,
the couples end up arguing, sometimes name-calling, and being quite frustrated
with each other. It is amazing to me how
individuals who are extremely successful in other areas of their lives, can be
made to feel so inadequate; all because they can’t eat grilled cobra or bungee
jump from a bridge.
I see this on a regular basis in individuals and couples that come to my
office. People who feel they have to be
perfect in everything. It is a horrible
affliction to have and carry with oneself throughout your life. Often, it has to do with trying to measure up
to some unrealistic expectation, some unattainable standard of excellence that
isn’t even measureable. I usually ask
them who they are trying to please. They
use words like “should,” “ought,” and “have to.” Again, somewhat rhetorically, I ask, “Who
says so?”
At one time, I battled the same demon.
I grew up, like many of these individuals feeling I could never be good
enough. As a result, I determined to try
harder. Unfortunately, I carried this
attitude over into my relationship with God.
I thought I “must (should, ought, have to) be perfect.” With some relief, I now know this isn’t true.
The Greek word used here refers to being finished, having reached its
end, as in something being completed.
Any of these words could easily be substituted. We tend to focus on the word “be,” assuming
that it is a state we are to be in right now.
However, the verb tense in the Greek supports a different
conclusion. We are to make this our aim.
Jesus had been encouraging his disciples, in the previous verses, to love
the way the Father loves, not just our neighbor, but even our enemies. He concludes with challenging them to be
perfect (to love) the way the Father does.
B.W. Johnson writes in his commentary, “It will require a constant
struggle while in the flesh to come near so high an ideal, but it must be our
continual aim (People’s New Testament with Notes).” On this earth, we will not “attain absolute
perfection, but we have placed before us, as a model, the perfect ideal, and we
will constantly ascend higher by striving to attain to it.”
We don’t have to beat ourselves up for not being perfect. Christ became the perfect sacrifice on our
parts. That is not the expectation
placed upon us. It is our aim, and
praise God, “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the
day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:6).”
Godspeed, Phil
