Perfectionism
Matthew 5:48
Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Perfect (teleioi). The word comes from telos, end, goal, limit. Here it is the goal set before us, the absolute standard of our Heavenly Father. The word is used also for relative perfection as of adults compared with children.
"The word rendered here perfect by St. Matthew, is elsewere by St. Luke rendered merciful, Luke 6:36, implying, that charity is the perfection of a Christian's graces: he that is made perfect in love, is perfect in all divine graces, in the account of God. " (William Burkitt).
I struggle with this verse in Matthew in the sense that I know that perfection is not possible, in and of myself. Religion can lead a person to depend on their own righteousness, to stand with the belief that I can get myself to heaven. So, Jesus is stopping this construction of the steps to heaven at the first brick. Like the Tower of Babel, we want to get to heaven under our own effort and work. What happens instead is that our supposed righteousness becomes a monument to our pride and ultimately invites God's judgment. Only grace takes us high. If we think that we can please God on our own, then Jesus makes it clear that the standard is perfection. No scales of good and bad here.
I like that the word for perfect is translated to "merciful" in Luke. Jesus is clear that we need God's mercy to enter His rest; what he expects for us to do is extend that mercy to others. I just watched the film Gran Torino three times within the last week. I burned myself out a bit by watching it so much, so soon (why can't I let a good thing rest? By re-watching it, I diminished the impact). Clint Eastwood's character, a Detroit autoworker named Walt Kowalski, learns to become more merciful. Yet, in the end, he dies in the end still wishing ill on his enemies and not loving them (which is still a big step forward than wiping them out). There were points in the film where his character could have made more of an impact of speaking the truth with love without having to resort to the bullet point (literally) to drive home the lesson. He might have died in the process...
Until we have people willing (not forced) to do so, our culture will not be renewed. I still think that punishment is necessary for a civil society but as Christians we can lay aside our rights to make a better point (pointing to the Cross). We don't cheapen the Law by doing so...the costs still needs to be paid. If we pony up and pay the bill, then the world is shaken and the demons lose their hold.
How are we most like God? When we love our enemies...it is the acid test of true spirituality.
"We are bound to love our enemies, This is a law of Christianity, original and peculiar. No system but this has required it, and no act of Christian piety is more difficult. None shows more the power of the grace of God; none is more ornamental to the character; none more like God; and none furnishes better evidence of piety. He that can meet a man kindly who is seeking his hurt; who can speak well of one that is perpetually slandering and cursing him; that can pray for a man that abuses, injures, and wounds him; and that can seek heaven for him that wishes his damnation, is in the way to life. This is religion, beautiful as its native skies; pure like its Source; kind like its Author; fresh like the dews of the morning; clear and diffusive like the beams of the rising sun; and holy like the feelings and words that come from the bosom of the Son of God. He that can do this need not doubt that he is a Christian. He has caught the very spirit of the Saviour, and he must inherit eternal life." (Albert Barnes).
Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Perfect (teleioi). The word comes from telos, end, goal, limit. Here it is the goal set before us, the absolute standard of our Heavenly Father. The word is used also for relative perfection as of adults compared with children.
"The word rendered here perfect by St. Matthew, is elsewere by St. Luke rendered merciful, Luke 6:36, implying, that charity is the perfection of a Christian's graces: he that is made perfect in love, is perfect in all divine graces, in the account of God. " (William Burkitt).
I struggle with this verse in Matthew in the sense that I know that perfection is not possible, in and of myself. Religion can lead a person to depend on their own righteousness, to stand with the belief that I can get myself to heaven. So, Jesus is stopping this construction of the steps to heaven at the first brick. Like the Tower of Babel, we want to get to heaven under our own effort and work. What happens instead is that our supposed righteousness becomes a monument to our pride and ultimately invites God's judgment. Only grace takes us high. If we think that we can please God on our own, then Jesus makes it clear that the standard is perfection. No scales of good and bad here.
I like that the word for perfect is translated to "merciful" in Luke. Jesus is clear that we need God's mercy to enter His rest; what he expects for us to do is extend that mercy to others. I just watched the film Gran Torino three times within the last week. I burned myself out a bit by watching it so much, so soon (why can't I let a good thing rest? By re-watching it, I diminished the impact). Clint Eastwood's character, a Detroit autoworker named Walt Kowalski, learns to become more merciful. Yet, in the end, he dies in the end still wishing ill on his enemies and not loving them (which is still a big step forward than wiping them out). There were points in the film where his character could have made more of an impact of speaking the truth with love without having to resort to the bullet point (literally) to drive home the lesson. He might have died in the process...
Until we have people willing (not forced) to do so, our culture will not be renewed. I still think that punishment is necessary for a civil society but as Christians we can lay aside our rights to make a better point (pointing to the Cross). We don't cheapen the Law by doing so...the costs still needs to be paid. If we pony up and pay the bill, then the world is shaken and the demons lose their hold.
How are we most like God? When we love our enemies...it is the acid test of true spirituality.
"We are bound to love our enemies, This is a law of Christianity, original and peculiar. No system but this has required it, and no act of Christian piety is more difficult. None shows more the power of the grace of God; none is more ornamental to the character; none more like God; and none furnishes better evidence of piety. He that can meet a man kindly who is seeking his hurt; who can speak well of one that is perpetually slandering and cursing him; that can pray for a man that abuses, injures, and wounds him; and that can seek heaven for him that wishes his damnation, is in the way to life. This is religion, beautiful as its native skies; pure like its Source; kind like its Author; fresh like the dews of the morning; clear and diffusive like the beams of the rising sun; and holy like the feelings and words that come from the bosom of the Son of God. He that can do this need not doubt that he is a Christian. He has caught the very spirit of the Saviour, and he must inherit eternal life." (Albert Barnes).
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