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

Matthew 5:27-48 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; ²⁸ but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹ If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ³⁰ If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.

³¹ “It was said, ‘Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce’; ³² but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

³³ “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ ³⁴ But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, ³⁵ or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶ Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷ But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ ³⁹ But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. ⁴⁰ If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. ⁴¹ Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. ⁴² Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

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 and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? ⁴⁸ Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

In Isaiah 55:8-9, God speaking through the prophet, says:  My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.  What does it mean for us that God’s ways are higher than ours? How does it impact our lives? God’s standards are also higher than ours. In today’s text Jesus says:  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’;  but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.”  It is not that we are really to tear out our eyes or cut off our hands, but we need to recognize that there is no carnal pleasure is worth sacrificing eternity for.

Jesus says:  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 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.”  To be perfect, as God is perfect is the high standard we are called to. Jesus Himself showed us how to do what he calls us to do.  On the cross, He prayed for the very ones who crucified Him. In Luke 23:34, He said:  “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”  We need to recognize though that it was not just those who were there that day who were the enemies that Jesus loved and prayed for.  Romans 5:8-10 says:  God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.  We too were enemies of God. God’s higher ways, His higher thoughts and His higher standards, also include a greater love, a greater mercy and a greater grace.  In Luke 6:37-38 Jesus says:  “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”  We are called to be perfect as God is perfect. Because we have been given the higher standard of God’s grace, that is the standard we should measure to others.

God says:  My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.  We need to recognize though that God’s higher ways and His higher thoughts do not embrace sin. God forgives sinners.  In Matthew 3:2, from the beginning of His ministry even until now, Jesus says “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  In Luke 5:31-32 Jesus, when He was questioned about associating with sinners and outcasts, said:  “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick.  I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” That too should be the higher standard that we have in our relationship with others, that we would not judge them, but rather would show them the perfect love of God, demonstrated in the cross of Christ. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. As we see the world, our culture and society moving farther from God’s perfect ways, we can be certain that God’s heavenly kingdom is coming. I don’t know when Jesus will return. In Matthew 24:36 Jesus says:  “Of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.”  This much I do know for sure, we are one day closer to His return than we were yesterday.  When He comes it will not be as a savior, to die for the sins of the world. It will be as righteous judge. Until that day, until that very hour, Jesus says: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over… you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit, indeed Your ways are higher than my ways and Your thoughts are higher than mine. But through the cross, I am perfected in Christ. May all that I do and all that I say be according to Your higher way. May I not judge, but rather point others to the demonstration of Your love, the cross of Christ. May I walk in and demonstrate Your love until the very hour You return.  Amen.