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Writer's pictureJ.J. Papin

How to Be Perfect

And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:47-48 (LSB)


The book of Matthew has three chapters devoted to teaching about the behavior and attitude of the Christian. These three chapters of the book of Matthew, 5, 6, and 7, are called the beatitudes. In another context related to the way of life of the Christian in the world, we can call them Christian ethics. Jesus teaches us how to live with others so that there is spiritual unity among us, whether with Christians or pagans. It is not a question of knowing who we are good to, but of always being good to everyone, even to our worst enemy.


Chapter 5 is the hardest to accept for most Christians because they think it asks a little too much of them. It is too hard for them to love those who hate them, to pray for those who mistreat them, and to bless those who curse them. God knows it wouldn’t always be easy, so He had it written in Scripture and had the teachings come directly from the mouth of Jesus Himself rather than Peter, Paul, or any other apostle.


The lesson here is that even if you have a disagreement with someone, you are not to regard them as an enemy and not greet or speak to them. Such an attitude is reserved for those who do not know Christ and have no personal experience with Him. God knows you would have just as many excuses to justify your refusal to abide by this teaching. But, Jesus gives us the reason to abide by it: “Be you therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” God could have turned His back on you because of your sin, but He chose to seek you out and reconcile you to Himself. Follow His example and do the same to your enemies, which is what will make you perfect like Him.


May the grace and peace of God be with you all.

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