Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:48
I put up a post on Facebook last night, and it said something to the effect that teaching and preaching the Sermon on the Mount stresses my mind, and it stresses my heart. I could give you three guesses as to why that is, and I bet you could guess it on the first one.
Blessed are the poor in spirit…blessed are those who mourn…blessed are the meek…blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…the merciful…the pure in heart…the peacemakers…those who are persecuted…I look at those and I think, “That’s not me.” Not the way it’s supposed to be. Not when it says “You SHALL be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
And I look at it…
“But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Blockhead!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.”
I look at that and I think “That’s me.”
And Jesus says “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
Paul writes this…
For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
Therefore…because of that…you shall be perfect…just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
