In all the Bible, there is probably no verse that has been more dissected than the scripture in Matthew where Jesus says, “Be ye perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48) Although the wording is quite simple (any fourth grader could read it) none of us seem quite sure what it means. We present endless discussions or opinions upon how this verse may be symbolic, a key to a deeper spiritual truth (that has nothing to do with our not being able to sin occasionally). Perhaps we argue that Jesus was just trying to give us something to “shoot for” and not a definite command. Of course, some of us take the short-cut and purchase a bible that has been rewritten so the verse no longer reads the same way. This doesn’t really answer the question, but it does seem to take it out of the ballpark. Those of us who are willing to keep the same Bible still can’t seem to agree on a meaning. We do agree, however, that it can’t mean what it says. After all, who could be perfect like God?
When any preacher dares to read the scripture in church a deathly silence falls on the congregation. Each member quietly anticipates that his next statement will offer a good explanation of this verse, and they are seldom disappointed. This verse is always explained. I know very few preachers that would dare to read this text and let the Word stand by itself.
Occasionally, the “be ye perfect” question comes up among Christian friends. This happened a couple of days ago to me. A friend and I were discussing the old fashion churches that both of us had been raised in and comparing them to the “modern church experience.”
As the discussion continued, Jesus’ admonition to “be ye perfect” became an intricate part of our conversation. We both knew or had known brothers and sisters in the Lord that seem to come very close to following this command. Many of these people had seen family and friends die or desert them, yet they seemed only to grow stronger in the faith. They had lived deliberately simple and pure lifestyles, while the rest of the country seemed to be on a collision course with sin.
What did these “old time” Christians have that now seems to be lacking in our modern church? I believe that they took the Bible spiritually AND literally. A mistake we that make is to only want to believe the Bible spiritually. A good statement of the modern ideology might be: no Bible verse affects our lives in a physical way, it only has an effect on our spirit beings.
This belief is not true. If nothing in the Bible were meant to be taken physically, Jesus would have never lived a natural life. The man Jesus resisted temptation in every form in order to show us that we are capable, by His grace, of resisting whatever evil presents itself in our NATURAL lives. Jesus said, “. . . be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) We are made over comers in THIS NATURAL WORLD. No evil should have dominion in our physical bodies. Of course, in this light, the “be ye perfect” statement suddenly becomes more uncomfortable.
Yet another aspect of the verse, that we Christians often fail to recognize is the last part, “Be ye perfect even as your FATHER which is in heaven is perfect.” How often have we measured our Christianity against the walk of a brother or sister rather than comparing ourselves to our Father? We attempt to justify our own actions by reasoning that what we do or say is not nearly so bad as what we have seen other Christians do. Surely, if they can do THAT we can certainly get away with THIS. However, Jesus clearly instructs us to become like HIM, not THEM.
At the end of the day, the Word of God is still standing. Although pastors and parishioners alike will argue the verse from every conceivable point, the simplicity of the scripture still utters it’s voice: “Be ye perfect even, as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. |
