WHAT’S YOUR TAKE 

ON MATTHEW 5: 48?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for the 11 Tuesday in Ordinary Time  is, “What’s Your Take On Matthew 5:48?”

Matthew 5:48 is the last sentence in today’s gospel reading. My take on this text is that a lot of people are familiar with it. Jesus said, “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

A lot of people have taken that text to heart and their take on that text has a big impact on their lives.

I probably have preached on this text a good 50 times – because I know from listening to people that this is one of those texts that people are very aware of. There are those who think it means that they have to be perfect in specific areas where they know they are not perfect. They think that without any nuances. And having heard various takes by various preachers and commentators on this text, there are nuances – or different takes.

Warning: don’t take my take on this text.

Message for today: take a good look at your take on this text – and then reflect on where that takes you – or could you take another take on this text?

Once more the text: “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Question: Is there a perfect take on this particular text?

THIS YEAR’S TAKE

This year my take on this text goes this way.

The text that comes down to us, comes down to us in Greek – and the Greeks had their take on what perfection is. Nobody is perfect. The Greek word used in today’s text is, “TELIOS” – which means perfect, complete, finished, mature.

Is the Greek take on this text – my take on this text?

Here’s Jesus telling crowd in the Sermon on the Mount – to be perfect – and then to make it even tougher, “to be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect.”

That’s quite a goal. That’s quite a target. That’s quite an aim.

And many times people feel guilty – because they don’t measure up to perfection – what they think would be perfect – and then on top of that, what they think God would think would be perfect in this situation. For example, a person reads the reading perfectly, except they feel they mispronounced one word or stumbled on one word – or they turned two pages instead of one when the reading goes into a second page and they stand there confused for 3 seconds – that feels like 3 years. “Oh my God, I blew it. I was a disaster.”

The Greeks had the idea everyone and everything has a TELIOS – an end – a reason for its existence – and that’s the target to go for – and if you reach it, you’re perfect.

SHOT AN ARROW INTO THE AIR

I like one of the Greek takes on sin. It’s called HARMATIA – meaning literally missing the mark. The word would be used in archery – and there’s the target – and you shoot the arrow at the bulls eye and if you missed, that’s HARMATIA. If you hit the bulls eye, you’re perfect.

So the goal is to get 100 or an A in the test – make the perfect meatloaf and make and bake the perfect Key Line or Key Lime Pie – it’s spelled both ways – and if there is one tiny thing wrong – imperfect – they you hit HARMATIA. You missed your mark.

Would a person be happier in life if they didn’t worry about perfection when it comes to pies and dusting. Just do it. Just do your best in the time you have. And while dusting or pie making, enjoy the breeze coming through the windows. Or look out the window at a scene taking place across the street. There’s two little girls twirling hula hoops on a green lawn and they are laughing and having a great time. And that evening laugh because nobody notices dust, but everyone enjoys the taste of Key Lime Pie – and don’t notice if it has an uneven crust or some of the pie is slipping over on the side of the dish – or heavens forbid, there is a little bit of dust on the pie. Smile. I won’t tell, if you won’t tell.

I like the image of a kid with a bow and arrow and he or she just shoots it in the air – and that’s the goal. One can’t miss if you’re just shooting an arrow into the air. That person is perfect. Even if the arrow slips and falls 2 feet to the ground, one hit the air. Perfect.

Now to be perfect in prayer, driving, speaking, commenting, mothering or fathering, being a Christian Catholic, that’s a goal. And depending on how we take “perfection” can determine our mind set and attitude about life.

In today’s gospel Jesus spells out where to be perfect: in loving not just one’s neighbor, but in loving one’s enemies – in praying for those who hurt us.

Tough stuff – but it’s so other centered and not so self centered – which can be the case of people who are scrupulous or nervous about every distraction in prayer or every fleeting so called “bad thought” that flies across their radar.

ARAMAIC - HEBREW

Not being perfect, I looked for a loophole. I thought: Jesus preached this in Aramaic – which is close to Hebrew. So what would be the Hebrew, Jewish, take on the idea of perfection?

The Hebrew word used would be TAM or TAMAM. It too means complete, finished – mature. But there is Good News here. Hebrew thought would say, “Hey! Everyone has their faults. Nobody is perfect! So to be perfect, go with God. God will take over and make what you’re doing, if it’s good, perfect.

The Hebrew thought stresses our weakness and God’s strength. God does the rest of the dusting in our mind. God sends the Holy Spirit as a Refreshing Breeze so we can enjoy the cool of the evening – and all those around us.

So if we’re doing anything – reading, praying, helping another, trying to love the person who is a pain or a problem, one says to God, “I’m trying to reach my goals, but you got to be the difference maker. You make it perfect – because I know I can’t.”

CONCLUSION

A conclusion to an imperfect sermon: Passing the buck to God can take a lot of stress and strain off our everyday endeavors.

So, please God, You do the rest with these perfect and imperfect people here on this perfect morning. Amen.