Be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect

7TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Matthew 5:38-48

Dom Anscar J. Chupungco, OSB

"Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect". To be good is already such a burden; we struggle daily just to be good ordinary Christians. Yet our Lord tells us to be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect. Is he trying to be funny? What does he mean by this rather odd and puzzling command?

If we love our neighbor and hate our enemy, we do what every normal human being does. God would probably be pleased with this much. After all it is not an easy matter to love many a neighbor. But our Lord tells us that this much is not enough. We must love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. We must imitate God who loved even those who tortured, derided, and crucified Christ.

How did God show his love for the sinner? By letting them enjoy the benefits of sun and rain, by searching for the lost sheep, by welcoming back the prodigal son. To be perfect like God, we too must learn to forgive and forget, we must learn to wish our enemies well and pray for them as if they were our friends. In the heart of a Christian there is no room for hatred. There is room only for indiscriminate love. We cannot choose whom to love; indeed we have no choice but to love. This is what our Lord means when he tells us to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect.