Unrealistic? Ok, try this one out for size, "Therefore, be perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect." Matthew 5:48. Talk about a guilt trip! How could anyone expect us to be as perfect as God is?
The meaning of this verse appears obvious enough. But since this verse seems so unrealistic or unobtainable perhaps you might have heard it explained something like:
"This is a command to strive for perfection which we will never reach, but you keep trying. However, when God looks at us through Christ He sees us as being perfect because of Jesus' perfection."
Although this interpretation may sound convincing and put our hearts at ease again, it has two major flaws. First, our definition for "perfect" does not carry the same meaning that it did in Greek. Or to put it another way, when when map our definition of perfect over the this text we read a message into the text which was not originally there. For those who value exegesis (understanding the intended message of the Bible), merely seeing our own reflection in the text has no value.
Second, this interpretation ignores the context. Not only does the text never suggest that we won't reach "perfection" nor does it even hint at our perfection being a result of Jesus. True, other passages do teach that Jesus makes us pure, etc. but that is not the message of this text. In fact, how this context defines perfection has been entirely ignored.
What does it mean to be perfect?
Whereas we typically think of perfection in terms of achievement such as scholastic, professional, and moral achievement where nothing less than the rating of 100% warrants the stamp of perfect, the Greeks thought of perfect with a whole different metaphor. Their word for perfect falls within a family of words that carry the fundamental meaning of "end." For them, "perfect" described the mature state or the nature of something or someone being complete or whole, that is, not fundamentally lacking something. To be perfect meant to be "whole," "complete," and "total." Thus a perfect pie is a pie which hasn't been partially eaten; it is not claiming that the pie would win the blue ribbon at the local fair.
When we allow this Biblical context to define what it means to be perfect, we find that God is our model of perfection because God sends his love and rain upon both the just and the unjust. God is not flawed, inconsistent or imperfect in his dealings with humanity. He pours out his love on all and therefore is perfect. Similarly then, the perfect person describes that man or woman who is complete because he or he loves and prays for both friend and enemy. Such an individual demonstrates wholeness and perfection.
Unlike the person who treats a rich man with love but a poor man with disrespect and is imperfect, Jesus taught that we are to be like God in loving all of humanity equally. Is this possible? Yes. It is essentially the same teaching as "love your neighbor." And when a lawyer type tried to limit the obligations of his love, Jesus described a man loving his enemy.
In this text, Jesus presents a command which he expects the listener to achieve. We are to imitate how God loves the world. He commands us to be perfect (whole) as God is perfect by treating everyone with love.
Barry Newton, Copyright © 1998
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