Midweek Message, July 20, 2016

Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect (Matt. 5:48) 

Come on, Jesus, now you’ve gone too far!  You know and I know that no one can be perfect, and certainly not perfect as God is perfect!  So why command us to be? 

What is Jesus talking about here in this context anyway?  Love.  “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I tell you:  Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (43 – 45).

 Jesus is saying something like this:  It’s in God’s very nature to love and to love all, and the key to our living is to have the presence of God dwell within us. With that comes God’s very nature to love, so you’re “stuck” sort of – in the sense that if you and I want God to live within us, then we’re going to love as God loves – which is to love regardless of how nice the other person is.  

 Or let me put it this way:  if this weren’t true about God, then you and I wouldn’t have a chance, because God loved us when we were very unlovable, when we have been as different from God as we can imagine.

 So, there it is:  Love as God loves; be perfect – in your loving – as your Heavenly Father is perfect.  The only way that can be done is to let God love others through you and me.  Let’s try it, ok?  

 Love and prayers,

Cliff

 CHURCH NEWS: Please continue to be in prayer for our Costa Rica Mission Team. They return late Saturday night.