Matthew shared how Jesus told His disciples if their “righteousness” did not “exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees” they would, “in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus then shared about “murder, adultery, swearing turning the other cheek and giving and lending to those who ask”, and He told His disciples, “You have heard that it has been said, You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That you may be the children of your Father which is 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.” Jesus continued, “For if you love them which love you, what reward have you? do not even the publicans the same? And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more than others? do not even the publicans so”, and in chapter five and verse forty-eight of his book, Matthew shared how Jesus told His disciples, “be you therefore perfect” where we read:
Be you therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
The verse reads, “Be you therefore perfect, ...” Matthew began with the words, “be you therefore” which means “then, accordingly, consequently and these things being so were the disciples to exist and lives as” “perfect” which means “brought to its end, finished, full grown and mature”. Jesus said to live “perfectly”.
The verse continues, “... even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matthew added the words, “even as” which means “in the same way and manner like” “your father” or “the disciples' progenitor and ” “which is in heaven” which means “who is in the region above the sidereal heavens, the seat of order of things eternal and consummately perfect where God dwells and other heavenly beings” “is perfect” or “exist as One brought to His end, finished, full grown and mature”. As though all the other requirements set out by Jesus to be righteous within their “heart” were not sufficient, Jesus told His disciples there were to be “perfect” like God .
When we meditate upon Matthew's words in this verse, we should find ourselves and every other person disqualified from the “Kingdom of Heaven”. This is exactly what Jesus had in mind. No one, on their own merit, is qualified to go to “heaven” other than Jesus Christ, and because Jesus live this “perfect” life, died for the sins of the world and was raised from the grave on the third day, now all people need to do is “believe and trust” in Him. Those who are wise will realize they are not “perfect”, and only Jesus is able to make them as “righteous” before God the Heavenly Father.
Next time we begin a new chapter and see Jesus tell His disciples, “Take heed that you do not your alms before men”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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