We’ve started reading through the New Testament this year.  This takes about six chapters a week.  That means that if you haven’t started yet, you could catch up quickly.  We’re only on Matthew 8 today.  If you had an hour, you could catch all the way up right now.  Don’t worry about falling behind, it’s a lot easier to catch up this year.  You can do this.

About twice a month, I will be answering questions on what we’re reading and giving overviews of new books we’re starting.  This week, one member has asked what Jesus means when He says, “You must be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). 

This is one verse where the parallel passage in another Gospel is very helpful.  Luke 6:36 reads, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”  You can see that both passages start with Jesus telling us to “love our enemies,” and culminate with a command to act as the Father acts.  For Matthew, it’s “be perfect;” for Luke, it’s “be merciful.”  I believe they mean the same thing.

The word that Matthew uses for “perfect” has a connotation of “completion.”  A variation on this phrase is used when Jesus says, “It is finished,” on the cross (John 19:30).  Jesus has paid the bill in full.  He has paid it perfectly.

So when the Father approaches the world, He has forgiven all our debts.  The world owes nothing to God.  If the world owes nothing to God, how can I think the world owes anything to me?  “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12).

Jesus teaches this lesson in reverse as a parable.  In Matthew 18, Peter asks Jesus how many times he must forgive his brother.  Jesus answers by telling of a servant who owed what amounted to 10 billion dollars.  The master forgives his debt.  This same servant finds a guy who owes him $15,000 and has him thrown in jail.  The master, when he finds out, punishes the unforgiving servant.  Jesus concludes, “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart” (Matthew 18:35).

To “be perfect” as the Father is perfect is to see the world as forgiven by Jesus.  It’s to approach people with free grace.  It is to love enemies.

If you have a question, you can either message me or post one here. Either way, send me lots of questions this year!