Our church has had a theme of ‘sowing and reaping’ for some time. Last week, as an elder, it was my turn to share part of it, with my own unique style?

So I started with this passage from Matthew:

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, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father 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 have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? ⁴⁸ Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48 NKJV)

Jesus never made Christianity easy. For us, the Lord takes what is normal in the world, and radically turns it on its head.

Love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you!

Take a deep breath because this passage gets worse.

Be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.

Right.

No problem.

Thanks, Wayne see you later.

Ok, let me pull this passage apart and in context.

First, this is not a treaty on law enforcement.

Verse 44 clearly states that it is about us responding to ‘persecution for being Christians.’

Verses 46 and 47, reveal the world’s ways contrasted with God’s, even the carbon tax collectors are nice to people who are nice to them (Wayne’s paraphrase).

As Christians, we have to do better than that.

There are two parts to this passage, ‘our words’ and ‘our actions.’

We speak blessing and we do blessing.

The Latin phrase, ‘Acta non verba’ is my favorite Latin phrase. It means ‘Actions not words’. Don’t be like so many who say one thing like bless you and do nothing.

James talks about those who say the right thing and do the opposite (James 2:14-18).

But you may wonder why this passage ends with such a difficult command in verse 48: ‘Be perfect, like your Father in heaven.’

The Greek word translated ‘perfect’ by many Bible versions does not mean ‘moral perfection.’

The original word in Greek, telios, means complete.

Now that may not make much sense either. What does it mean to be ‘complete like God is complete’?

Well, I will give you my interpretation. This last verse (verse 48) must be understood in the context of the whole passage.

God wants our words and actions to live up to Christ’s words and actions. Remember the world hates hypocrites, those who say one thing and do another.

My best example of what God means is found in John 3:16:

For God so loved the world (words), He gave (actions) His only Son = Completion.

I don’t think God is looking for moral perfection, if He is, I am in trouble. God is looking for us to be complete and have our words and actions line up.

So relax and be ‘perfect’ like God.