March 21, 2022

The Year of our Lord Jesus Christ

Matthew 5:48

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

You’ve probably heard the old saying; “If you don’t aim for anything, you’ll hit it every time.” So, what is the aim for the believer in Jesus Christ. In today’s verse the Lord spells it out very clearly. Be perfect. That is the aim. Aim at perfection.

It’s true, no one will ever obtain perfection. But that is the aim. That is the bullseye. That is the goal. Perfection. Be perfect as a spouse, an employee, a manager, a citizen, a church member, a friend, a person. Just be perfect. The drive for perfection should be an ever-constant mantra.

But what is perfection? The Father in Heaven. He is perfection. Jesus said so. Your pastor, your friend, your college, your employer, or even your conscience is not your standard of perfection, the Father in Heaven is. How can we know what He is? Read His Word. Learn of Him. Meditate on Him. Consider Him in every decision. Reflect on Him before any action. Yes, just know Him.

A perfect score for a game of golf would be 18. One stroke per hole. No-one has ever scored that unless it was one of those putt-putt courses. On a regulation 18-hole course the score of 18 would be perfect but impossible. But we still play golf, trying to get as close to “par” as possible. Even by shooting par the round would not be perfect. Par may be 72 strokes, perfect is 18 strokes.

Life in Christ is the same. It’s the pursuit of perfectness that counts. It’s the aim. Jesus’ command of Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect in context is speaking about the way we treat others. In every relationship aim for perfection. What a world it would be if everyone treated everyone like our Father in Heaven would. What a home that would be, what a church that would be, what a workplace that would be! All it takes are those committed to aim for perfection.

Until next time,

William T. Howe, Ph.D.