“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
As is the case with all of the instructions of the Sermon on the Mount, we fall short, but Jesus fulfills perfect love. To love enemies is also a perfect love. We certainly can’t do that on our own. Christ tells us to be the first to look for an opportunity to do good to the offender.
I think the Amplified translation picks up better the Greek interpretation. “48 You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
perfect love, that is “growing maturity of godliness of mind and character” goes beyond our humanness and draws upon God's power to witness by loving in return for evil.
Someone said the only nice thing about being imperfect is the joy it brings to others. Well, let me bring some joy into your life for as I read this verse. I confess I do not have that maturity based on my works. I am not perfect nor will be until I get to glory. By God’s grace we are made perfect by the blood of Jesus and now are told to walk in that new nature.
Greek word for perfect doesn’t mean sinless perfection. Since it means complete, sound, and full grown. I believe Jesus is telling us to love like God loves. That is a growing assignment. That is why I need Jesus.
efforts to interest others in a Christian life are sometimes unconvincing. All too often we ask them to accept Christ but they see no difference in our lives than everyone else’s. Are you letting God work within? Show mercy to your enemy. Do good when it's not expected. Be kind when it is undeserved. Give the world a taste of one higher-price brand - that perfect love. It will not come naturally it comes with prayer and yielding to the Spirit.
Lupton mentioned volunteering with disadvantaged youth. He brought many home and two watches soon disappeared. One was expensive, the other sentimental. Into his church walked a young mother with 3 dirty scantily clad preschoolers at her feet, who told a heart rendering account of their abandonment, hunger and cold rejection at welfare office. Compassion and righteous anger compelled the man to act immediately with a supply of groceries and clothes, only to discover a little later that this same woman used the same false story on churches and individuals all over that city. He had been taken advantage of.
Why help people and show them love when he continued to get hurt? What do you do? What would Jesus do? When they wanted bread and fish but no discipleship; when they came for healing of leprosy but only one returned to thank Jesus; when He cared for Judas who in turned Him over to the soldiers for arrest?
We realize how conditional most of our acts of kindness really are. How much we expect to be paid back for our love, or at least in changed behavior or a polite thank you or appreciative smiles. We are presented with an unmistakable opportunity to learn to love without strings attached. It can also be the beginning of understanding how dependent we are on good feelings to motivate us to serve.
Application thought: The goal of Bob Lupton's work is same of Jesus Christ - to change lives, both in the servant and in the ones being served.
Prayer: Lord, I continue to pray, help me to love like You love, unconditionally!
