Be Perfect - An Actual Command

Matt. 5:48

“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Ha ha ha hah hahaha. (not meant to sound Woody-Woodpecker-ish)

Yes that is an actual command. Only Jesus could issue such a creed, you know. And we can reply, “Easy for you to say Jesus; you ARE perfect.”

And what's more, these words are a good deal into the Sermon on the Mount, issued to many, many imperfect people.  Delivered just after we are told to love our enemies.  A blinding jab followed by a knock-out punch.  I wonder how many people got up and left the mountainside at that point.

It was given for a reason. First of all, I am not a Greek scholar, so I am not sure of the translation. But here we have a verb that is in the infinitive. A continual state, same as it was, will be. We were not born perfect; therefore, we can never become perfect, because we will always have our past imperfection with us. Until...

We realize that we can never achieve perfection on our own. But that does not mean it cannot be done, or God would not have issued us that command. Really, it has nothing to do with us or our deeds.  (The Bible is not as much about us as it is about Him). This is a command telling us that we need to accept Jesus and his sacrifice. We are allowed to take on His perfection in the Father's eyes. 

These words in the Bible are specifically for us. Because, being given at the Sermon on the Mount, those hearing it did not have the option yet to accept Jesus's sacrifice that was yet to be given.

So, now I can be free to release my perfectionistic nature?  Not quite.  The imperfection in me won't allow me to obey that command.  And again, I continue the cycle of receiving His goodness, as I give him my sinfulness.  All until the Day when I will need to no more.