You are to be perfect

If ever there was a statement that put could some pressure on person, this is it! I mean, does that sound like someone is setting themselves up for disappointment with unrealistic expectations or what? Can you imagine someone, such as a parent, boss, or spouse actually saying that to you? Well the fact is, someone did say that to you and to me – Jesus! In Mathew 5:48 Jesus made the following statement to his disciples:

“You are to be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Not only did Jesus say this to us as his disciples, he actually expects it! And as if it wasn’t enough to tell us that we are to be perfect, he added, “even as your heavenly father is.” Talk about high expectations! If you are at all like most people, your reaction upon hearing this statement was probably something like this: “He can’t possibly be serious!” But Jesus most certainly was serious, and as we look a little closer at this verse, we will begin to understand both how and why Jesus could make such a statement.

The first thing that we must understand is that the Greek word translated “perfect” in this verse does not have the same meaning as the word “perfect” in the English language. In our language “perfect” means “without fault or defect,” while the Greek word used in this verse means “complete, of full age, mature.” In other words, Jesus was not saying he expects his followers to all be without any faults, but rather he expects them all to be complete and mature sons of their father.

The second thing we need to understand about this passage is the context in which it was spoken. In the verses that lead up to this statement, Jesus made some very challenging statements to his disciples about the kind of love he expected them to demonstrate. In particular, he told them to “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Then, he added, “that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

Jesus was saying that if they were truly going to prove themselves to be sons of God, then they would have to walk in a degree of love that was far more mature than they would or could walk in naturally – they would have to walk in God’s love. It is not at all natural for man to love his enemies and pray for those who persecute him, only the love of God can do that. And it is only someone walking in spiritual maturity, someone who is led entirely by the Spirit of God within him, that will be able to manifest God’s love to others, and it is ultimately by this love that we will prove ourselves to be sons of God.

In Luke 6:32-35, Jesus contrasted God’s love with the “love” of man, asking his disciples, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.”

The fact is Jesus expected his disciples then and now to walk in a far more mature degree of love than the love the world demonstrates – a love that gives to all, without expecting anything in return. And the way Jesus expressed this expectation is by telling us that we are to “be perfect, even as your heavenly father is perfect.” If you are Christian, then you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, and he expects you to manifest the same mature love to others that God manifests to us. And to assure you that this is possible, Jesus has put this ability to love with God’s love inside of us. (John 17:26) So be perfect, as your heavenly father is!