How good are you? In this weekend’s Scripture, Matthew 5:17-48, Jesus is confronting the teachings of a group of religious people who thought they had it all figured out. So Jesus lays out His standard of goodness as compared to their standard of goodness.
In light of our teachings on the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), what insights do you have?
How does this Scripture make you feel? Guilty? Inspired? Trapped?
How do you wrestle with the verse that says, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”?
I always love hearing the insights you bring to this blog. There are no right answsers, just share your gut with us.
June 14th, 2006 at 2:19 pm
I have always seen Jesus’ statement of “Be prefect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” as a command. I thought this was what we, as believers, were to be striving towards and empowered by the Holy Spirit to do. In attempting to live this perfect life I found that I failed all the time, which left me disappointed. Disappointed that I did not rely on or ask Jesus to give me strength in the situation to overcome or “be perfect”. So I struggle with this disappointment. Would Jesus have told me to do something that I could not? I realize, however, that I can’t be perfect on my own, in my brokenness, but should not I be able to with the power of Christ. I am just left with questions as I read this section of scripture now, so I’m still thinking it through. Struggle is great?!?!?!
June 15th, 2006 at 8:21 am
I too, have struggled with being “perfect” my entire life. You can learn to control yourself, with the help of the Lord, so that you can be a good person; but you cannot control others. If others are mean and hurtful to you, and they know that you are a Christian and willing to turn the other check (70 times 7), they can and sometimes are abusive. Even if you are doing your utmost to live life God’s way there is a point at which you cannot take any more - what do you do then? For example, divorce not on the grounds of infidelity but abuse or maltreatment - that is not covered in what Jesus said, but is it not as valid a reason to divorce?
June 15th, 2006 at 10:36 am
As I read this passage in light of the rest of chapter 5 I feel that it is about our heart, our attitudes, and how we let things flow out from us. I am not perfect and I know I never will be. So when I read verse 48 I am left to say, “I don’t get it, I’m so far from perfect, and I know I will never get much closer.“ I am a broken person who has an incredible need for God, a God I do accept as perfect. This passage also makes me think about how I am learning that God calls us to live an intentional life. A life of loving Him first and most, and having all we do be focused on His priorities. His greatest priority is calling us back to Him, so therefore one of my biggest priorities should be helping others walk that path as I do it with them. I’m far from perfect, but as I follow a perfect God and live by His priorities I am hopefully moving one step closer each day.
June 20th, 2006 at 4:53 pm
I came into Christianity with a full dose of self-sufficiency. I mean, John Wayne was my hero, and he usually didn’t need much help to be victorious over the bad guys (I know - I didn’t resemble John, at least outwardly - it was an attitude thing! If you can’t remember John, think Jack Bauer!). Becoming a Christian brought about some immediate changes, but the self-sufficiency “issue” is taking awhile (ok - I’ve been a Christian for nearly 30 years). To realize what a sin S-S is, it says I don’t need God, at least not for most things, and Jesus’ death may not have really been that necessary! It says I am my own god. Well, God was merciful in not striking me dead immediately, but he has worked with me and is working with me to kill that S-S stuff. It’s not totally dead yet, but it’s a lot deader than it was 30 years ago. He used His Word, His Spirit, other Christians, and most of all, He let me get in trouble so that I would cry out to Him and He could rescue me. The bottom line of all this is I think perfection is a process that won’t be complete until we’re at work/rest in the New Jerusalem.
June 23rd, 2006 at 12:08 pm
-perfection…I don’t think God would calls to do something that is obviously impossible…perfection is not living a sinless, flawless life, but rather I think it is living the life we were created to live…in the words of Jesus, life to the full…sure we make mistakes, but that’s what grace is all about…I’ve spent too much time giving validation to sin…I realize it’s going to happen…I don’t mean it…God doesn’t want it…but it happens…”grace pays the bills”…in the wonderful and PERFECT life God has set before us, there is no time to dwell on sin…my perfection isn’t found in my actions, but in my being, who I am, who God sees me as…
- I think Jesus affirms that it isn’t about knowing all the subsections and fine print of the rules, but embracing the lifestyle of love and service he sets before us…I know I can’t do this all the time, but the more I practice it the more I will realize it is truly the best way to do life…the fulfillment of the law provides us a set of…values(?)…that we might use to make decisions…that we can use in the tough times…these guidelines(?)are timeless, making them applicable to 1st and 21st century followers alike…how is that for perfection!
- just some ramblings…
…805 OUT
June 23rd, 2006 at 3:33 pm
Don’t know who this is by, but I used it once in a teaching so at sometime or another I did…check it out…“Christian perfection is not, and never can be, human perfection. Christian perfection is the perfection of a relationship to God, which shows itself amid the irrelevancies of human life…I am called to live in perfect relation to God so that my life produces a longing after God in other lives, not admiration for myself. Thoughts about myself hinder my usefulness to God. God is not after perfecting me to be a specimen in His show room; He is getting me to the place where He can use me. Let Him do what He likes.”