To Be Perfect

How many of us are intimidated by Jesus’ call to “be perfect as my Heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48)? Surely we all are.

Usually, I hear this verse quoted by someone who is in spiritual despair, who feels helpless and hopeless about pleasing God. The standard is too high and the requirements impossible. Of course, failure means damnation, and so the logic leads to despair.

In response, I always point out that the word we translate “perfect” does not mean what we typically think, that is, being free from fault or error. Instead, the word Matthew uses means mature, complete, or having reached an intended goal.

Jesus is not demanding that we never make a mistake, but, as he illustrates in the preceding verses, that we become mature through the practice of love. To learn to love is to reach the goal.

The imitation of God’s love is not something we can do flawlessly, and that is not what Jesus is asking us to do. Rather, even an imperfect practice of love, and the desire to love, is the maturity to which we can grow in Christ.

While the call to perfection in Jesus’ statement does not mean we must never fall short (the literal definition of sin) in our thoughts or actions, there is a single way that we can be perfect, as we think of term. It is not what we can achieve by trying hard to try to do what is right, but it might surprise us where we can be perfect.

The perfection actually possible is the perfect acceptance of our own imperfection! We may not always be able to do what is good and godly, but we can always admit that we are imperfect, and do that without fail!

Though it is possible to perfectly accept that we are imperfect, the reason we often don’t is pride. To put it differently, ego. It is not nearly as hard to constantly admit our failures than to attempt to always do what is right. Though relatively easy, we resist admitting our mistakes.

The surpassing truth is that God accepts us despite our imperfection, and that too is what we have real trouble accepting. The two go together: accepting that we are imperfect, and also believing that God accepts us just as we are. The first we can do perfectly, but the second we struggle to do at all.

Even if we want to be morally perfect, we fail because of our weakness. But perfect admission of our imperfection requires no strength, just humility and honesty. Anyone can be perfect in this one way.

The heart of the gospel proclamation is that God loves and has mercy on sinners! God does not demand that we make ourselves perfect, but he cleanses us from our imperfection.