Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect

 

 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'  But I tell you not to resist an evil person.  But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.  If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.  And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.  Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?  Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?  Do not even the tax collectors do so?  Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

 

- Matthew 5:38-48 

 

At present we are reading through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7).  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught, "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.'  But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.  Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'  But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.  Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.'  But I say to you, do not swear at all:  neither by heaven, for it is God's thrown; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.  But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.'  For whatever is more than these is from the evil one." 

 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'  But I tell you not to resist an evil person.  But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.  If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.  And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.  Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away."  My study Bible comments that in contrast to the Old Testament (Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21), Jesus warns us not to resist violence with more violence.  It notes that evil can only be overcome by good, which keeps us free from compromise with the devil and can bring our enemy under the yoke of God's love.  

 

 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?  Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?  Do not even the tax collectors do so?"  My study Bible says that if we are freed from hate, sadness, and anger, then we are able to receive the greatest virtue, which is perfect love.  The love of enemies is not simply an emotion, but rather includes decision and action.  

"Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."  My study Bible calls this verse the summary statement of all that has preceded.  The Christian can grow in the perfection of the Father (see Ephesians 4:13), which is shown by imitation of God's love and mercy (compare Luke 6:36). 

What does it mean to be perfect?  And what is perfect love?  Clearly my study Bible states that we can learn to grow in the perfection of God; for Orthodox Christians, the mystical nature of the Church and the sacraments, the effects of prayer, and a life lived in faith reflect participation in the life and energies of Jesus Christ, the grace of God, and the action of God through Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in us and in our lives.  This is a very mysterious process in which our faith plays a role to help us to be transformed in love, through repentance and our own "yes" to God.  So how we are made perfect in love, as the Father in heaven is perfect, to be conformed to the image and likeness of God in which we are created?   In this sense, Christ's summing up of the teachings He has given so far in the Sermon on the Mount reflects our present understanding of Christian theology and our participation in the life of His Church.  But let us ask again, what does it mean to be perfect, and what is perfect love?  There seem to be all kinds of love:  a popular notion would be that love is full indulgence of the desires of the beloved, but then there is also the notion of "tough love" -- that is, what one does out of love that may seem to be harsh or strict with the object of that love has terrible problems with their own behaviors.  I think it's relevant to understand that in the tradition of the Old Testament, God's word to Israel was meant for Israel; that is to say, the focus was on what was required to be a Jew, not on forcing all the world to follow the laws of Judaism.  Here, Christ speaks to His disciples, and He is teaching us what our responsibilities are if we are to call ourselves His followers.  Therefore, these commands are for us.  It is in that context that excommunication is understood:  that there are times when separation from the Church occurs even for the spiritual good of the person who is sinning, in the understanding that all are under God's care, and in hope that separation will help to bring the person back to the love of God (see 1 Corinthians 5:5, for example).  In our modern perspective which seems to orient itself to a kind of consumerism of all things, this may seem strange.  But on spiritual terms -- and within the context of the spiritual reality of God and this spiritual realm that permeates our world -- it is, in fact, a loving gesture if understood and properly administered.   Each of us needs to be reconciled to the love of God in whatever way we have need within ourselves; in fact, in this understanding, repentance becomes necessary to avoid more negative consequences of our own hypocritical behavior, for all is exposed to God.   So love takes on forms we might not necessarily understand are loving if we do not know the context in which love operates, and if we do not understand what is for the higher good of the person who is the beloved.  In all cases, loving action supports life and  nurturing; it does not indulge what is self-destructive and harmful, but neither must it be without mercy and what will work best in the long run.  In short, this command to be perfect is a command for lifelong learning of discernment of what constitutes love, what best serves God's purposes, and retains a focus not on what others are doing, but on our own lives and what it is that we need to do in that pursuit of perfection (see John 21:20-22).  In the modern social context of today, we see a tremendous focus on what everybody else is doing, on condemnation of another's action or choice, be that the support of a political party or some stand on a current issue.  The drive to focus attention on an enemy or a scapegoat, even if only to scare others into line (or to distract from one's own motives), is part of human history and the use of power for as long as history is recorded.    "Cancel culture" is one name given to this phenomenon in one of its forms today; this tendency is nothing new.   But this is not the focus recommended by Christ, not the focus of the Sermon on the Mount.  Let us learn discernment to follow His will and find His way, and practice what He preaches for us all, if we call ourselves His followers.  It is in this way that Christ's light will shine through us, that He asks us to be the salt of the earth, to distinguish ourselves as those who carry His name in the world.