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Saturday, February 16, 2008

Matthew 5:43-48
Jesus said to his disciples: "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, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

"For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers and sisters only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same?

"So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Five times in chapter five, Jesus says, "You have heard..." In his sermon on the mount this teacher who healed people and fed them out of nothing sets a far higher standard for behavior than his listeners had ever heard.

It's easy for me to see God as one kind of being, pure and holy, always doing the right thing, never self-serving ... and myself as another, more or less the opposite of God. It's easy for me to excuse my behavior theologically: since the "fall" described in Genesis 3, I can't measure up. And the truth is, when I attempt to do Jesus' bidding on my own while many around me are just as selfish as ever, I can become very very discouraged.

Jesus just doesn't seem to care about that. His words won't let me settle for something less than perfection. But he sets this high standard only after turning me toward God. God's commitment to me, and my surrender to that commitment, is the first step on Jesus' path, the path he wants me to follow.

Jesus' first words to the people are, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (Matthew 5:3-6).

This redefines my action items. How do I become poor in spirit; what does it mean to be meek? I think it means being honest about my sin and getting to know the nature of remorse. When I come out of hiding, I can open my arms and welcome God's comfort. And I can know the kingdom of heaven is not just for some other impossibly perfect creatures, but for me too.

Becoming perfect is the result of walking this very day in awareness of my sin, confession of my sin, accepting forgiveness of my sin, and ... then walking the same path again tomorrow. I can't imagine perfection; but God knows all about it, and I can follow him.

Lord, let me run in the path of your commands ... for you have set my heart free.



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