Striving for Perfection

Matthew 5:43-48 (ESV) 
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 
44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 
45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is 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. 
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 
47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 
48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Mr. Berry was my high school band teacher. We were in one of my first band practices when he stopped the class and said, "Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect!" His point was that if we practiced it wrong, it didn't matter how much we practiced, we'd still play it wrong. The whole point of practice was to perfect our skill so that when we performed we would be flawless.

Matthew 5:48 challenges us to pattern our lives after God and live perfectly just as He is perfect. Is this really possible? Can we really be perfect? I know, some of you readers might be thinking, "Of course I'm perfect." But I'm not talking about looks or education or anything else that cause pride to swell in our hearts and heads. Can we really be perfect, patterning our lives after God?

It's easy to love those who love us back. We have no problem being a friend to those who are friendly toward us. We can even be cordial to strangers in the checkout line, or those whom we pass on the street. We might even be bold enough to chat with our neighbors. But, when it comes to our enemies, we love to hate them.

But Jesus teaches against the grain of our human philosophy. Rather than fight, maim, and kill your enemy, Jesus says to love them! Instead of cursing those who persecute, Jesus tells us to pray for them! And Jesus practiced what He preached.

One whom He had chosen - Judas Iscariot - betrayed Him, but Jesus washed his feet, ate supper with, and shared the covenant meal together him. In fact, up to the very last time Jesus and Judas talk, Jesus calls Judas "friend." While on the cross, Jesus prayed for His persecutors, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Yes, Jesus practiced what He taught.

But can we? Can we be perfect like He was perfect?

I think we can!

Stephen was persecuted for declaring the truth about Jesus Christ, and those who were supposed to be his very brothers and countrymen, took him outside the city and stoned him to death. Just prior to his death, Stephen prays, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge."

Yes, it is possible to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. In fact, it's expected of true disciples!

Let's strive for perfection like Jesus. Let's love the unlovable, touch the untouchable, and forgive our enemies. While they "kill" us with their insults, let's "kill" them with kindness. Instead of returning evil for evil, let's return good for evil. Let's not be overcome by evil, but let's overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21).

Above & Beyond

Matthew 5:38-42 (ESV) 
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 
39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 
40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 
41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 
42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. 

How do you live for God?

Do you ask or think, "How much do I have to do to be saved?" The rich young ruler asked, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" The use of the word "inherit" has always stuck out to me. An inheritance is granted on the basis of who you know - being born with the right last name. You usually don't have to work very hard at getting an inheritance. Too many people live for God wondering how little they have to do to get by.

This type of thinking is living for God in the minimums. It's only meeting the minimum requirements. It's being an average Christian. One should know, though, that average is as close to the bottom as it is to the top. Laodicea was "average" in that they were lukewarm; neither cold nor hot. God is so turned off by lukewarmness that He said He would spew them out of His mouth! I don't want to live for God in the minimums. I refuse to be an average Christian.

Jesus addresses going above and beyond in Matthew 24:38-42. This message no doubt brought gasps from the audience. Some among them wanted a Savior who would deliver them from the hand of the Romans. They were tired of carrying the Roman soldiers gear for a mile - it was Roman law that you had to do this when compelled by a Roman soldier.  However, rather than carry for the required mile - the minimum - Jesus says, "Go two miles!"

WHAT!? Doesn't Jesus know that I've got things to do, places to go, and people to see? Doesn't He realize that the Romans hate us and what we stand for? It's bad enough I have to go one mile, now He wants me to double that!?

What God asks of us doesn't always make sense, but it sure does make saints!

If we lived by the idea of "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" we'd end blind and toothless! If we reacted every time we were slapped, we'd fight constantly! If we counter-sued, we'd never get out of the courtroom. Maybe if we would just do what Jesus taught, we'd be much better off!

A soft answer still turns away wrath...

Fire goes out if you cease to put fuel on it...

In other words, use the WORD and what it teaches! Don't just wear "WWJD" on your ball cap or book bag and not really live it!

Quit living for God in the minimums! Instead, let's give Him our ALL!

I may never have my name on a Hollywood Star. I may never sleep in the Lincoln Bedroom at the White House. I may never drive the fanciest or wear the finest, but if I have given my all to as many as possible - even those who have no way to every repay, then I will have fulfilled a Godly destiny! Some of the financially poorest people I know are the most emotionally and spiritually wealthiest!

So, how do you live for God?

Say What You Mean & Mean What You Say

Matthew 5:33-37 (ESV) 
33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 
34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 
35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 
36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 
37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil. 

Communication is very interesting. Perception and assumption play into how we communicate. In fact, it's been taught that 93% of communication is tone of voice, facial gestures, and other non-verbal elements. These are how people perceive what you're saying. This means that only 7% of communication is the actual words you say.

Compound this by social networking and text messages that have caused us to write short blurbs in 140 characters or less. Code such as "LOL" meaning "laugh out loud" or "BRB" meaning "be right back" among other coded text messages have aided in the demise of how we communicate.

In the chosen Scripture text, Jesus is addressing the use of oaths. In the Old Testament, people would swear an oath to what they were saying, but often would fail to follow through. Jesus challenges this declaring that we should "say what we mean and mean what we say."

Consider this - are you a man or woman of your word? Can people trust that when you say something, it will happen? Are you consistent with the nurture and admonition of your children? Do you say one thing and do something else?

We've all heard cliche's like, "The check's in the mail" or "I'll get right on that" when in fact, we haven't even sealed the envelope or written the check yet, nor do we intend to get right on anything, much less whatever it is that we're supposed to be doing. As Christians, we need to mean what we say and say what we mean.

Go apply for a loan at your bank and if you're approved, prepare to sign your name so many times, you'll have a sore wrist the rest of the day. In bygone days, a man's word and a firm handshake constituted trust between two individuals transacting business. Today, with fraud, lying, and people not keeping their word, we have to sign our lives away. We may not be able to change the bank's policies, but we can ensure that we say what we mean and mean what we say.

Let's be men and women of our word.