Scripture: Matthew 5:43-48
Journal: How is Jesus asking you to raise the bar in your life with
him? How is he desiring you to become
more complete? What does this look like
concretely in your life? What does it look
like to grow in love today?
Reflection:
Following Jesus is a dynamic process. It is a life that is ever-changing. It is a life where he is constantly calling
us to a new place, to continual growth.
A life of following him is a life where we are constantly on the move
spiritually. We can’t stay in one place
because when we have stopped growing, we have stopped following.
“You have heard it was
said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray
for those that persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in
heaven.” A life with Jesus is a life
in which he is constantly raising the bar.
Not in the sense of oughts and shoulds, but in the sense
of who and how he is calling us to love.
Life with him is a life in which we grow in love each and every
day. It is this growing in love that
will make us complete. And what Jesus
really desires for us is to become more and more complete, more and more like
him. That’s what he’s actually saying
when he says: “You must therefore be perfect, as your heavenly Father is
perfect.” The Greek word for perfect
is teleios, which means to bring something to its end; to be finished
or complete. And one of the main
ways we become more and more complete, more and more like Jesus, is learning
how to love.
Eugene Peterson said it so
well in The Message when he translates it: “In a word, what I’m
saying is Grow up. You’re kingdom
subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others,
the way God lives toward you.”
Prayer
Closing
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that your desire is to
make us perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Help us to be at least a little closer to
that at the end of this day than we were at the beginning. Amen.
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