‘Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect’...We read in Matthew 5:48, and, as Christians, 
we should accept that as our LIFELONG JOB DESCRIPTION...HOWEVER...
WE need to be careful that the goals we set for ourselves don’t cause us to reject others when we see in them A LACK OF PERFECTION...As we grow we become adept at spotting faults, failures, and character defects in others, especially those closest to us and indeed, even those in our own households...!!!
Recall then another passage of Scripture: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?”
GUESS WHAT...???
Those last passages are the words that IMMEDIATELY PRECEDE Matthew 5:48...They are Matthew 5:43-47, and conclude Jesus’ thought with, ‘Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect’...NOW...
We need to read and reread and gnaw and chew on these words before we can begin to actually incorporate them into our daily lives...!!!
It brings to mind what I have heard and been taught on many occasions and by many different voices...A study of Scripture is incomplete without considering passages BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER the passage(s) we are studying...!!!
The Church has applied this technique for two thousand years, and by doing so has kept us from misinterpretations of Holy Scripture, and consequently, that has kept us from falling into the many heresies that have crept into the church down through the ages...WHICH BRINGS ME TO MY CONCLUSION...An admonition from Our Lord: ‘And instruct them to keep everything whatever I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you every day, even unto the end of time. Amen’...this is from THE ARAMAIC BIBLE IN PLAIN ENGLISH...SO...
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND AS WE STRIVE FOR PERFECTION WHILE STRIVING TO LOVE EVERYONE AROUND US...!!!
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