A new interpretation of Matt 5:48

[Anonymous]

Quote:

Matthew 5:48- Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

I’m sure this is not actually a new interpretation but it was a new thought for me today.

Let me start by saying that I have come to hate this verse according to the traditional LDS interpretation. The striving to actually be perfect can often lead to feelings of guilt and shame and a deep sense of constantly falling short. Even if the ideal is good to strive for, I think this verse leads many LDS (myself included) to just feel hopeless. It is not a very inspiring verse.

But today I was reading the sermon and noticed more the immediate verses preceding this one. The focus is on loving your enemy. Then comes the “therefore” in verse 48. A lightbulb clicked on for me and I saw this set of verses as a logic statement, or as a promise. The “if” is if you can find a way to love even your enemies. The “therefore” is the conclusion or the promise that you will be perfect, or complete, as God is.

Verse 48 is not a commandment – it’s a promise! The promise that if you can increase your love for mankind to include even your enemies, then you are complete. The commandment is to love others.

This simple interpretation adjustment transformed that verse into one of my favorites.

[Anonymous]

I like your interpretation. I think it’s much closer to what was intended. Unfortunately, religions, including ours, have a tendency to overstate the importance of sin in a sort of warning to the believers… don’t-let-this-happen-to-you! Because of this, we too often think of godliness as the lack of evil. But being good isn’t the lack of something, it is the presence of something. So, when we see Matt 5:48, we tend to think of “perfect” as the lack of imperfections, which we know to be impossible. As you quietly indicated “perfect” in the original greek was closer to what we might think of as “complete” or “mature”, “finished”. It’s a statement that inivites us to become more like God in the way we treat others. God, after all is “complete”, but we are a work in progress.

Also of interest is the parallel “Sermon on the Plain” in Luke 6. It’s the same source of Jesus’ words, but Luke put his own twist on it, just as Matthew did. For example, in Matthew, Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs in the kingdom of heaven” and “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Luke tells it subtly differently, but in doing so conveys a much different meaning: “Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled.”

Luke adds some woes against the rich that Matthew doesn’t… this makes sense, because to Luke this sermon is largely about social injustice. I use the NRSV for the remainder of this post: “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry.”

Consider how Luke tells the same passage as Matthew regarding how we should be. He/She doesn’t use the word “perfect”:

Quote:

But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

[Anonymous]

I agree Tom. I reached this same conclusion a few years ago. In my view it is a statement of what will be (or in your words a promise) as opposed to a commandment that we cannot possibly achieve.

And thanks for adding your insights as well, OON. I happen to be working on a talk at the moment, and I am including some elements of the beatitudes etc. Your insight fits very well.

[Anonymous]

I think I recall hearing that “perfect” was the word KJV translators used, but there wasn’t a direct translation for the word and other versions use “whole”. “Be ye therefor whole” sure sounds more achievable.

[Anonymous]

Also I think we take this verse often alone by itself and it’s completely out of context. The complete context includes the preceeding verses about loving our enemies. Verse 48 is the conclusion of that argument, the promise of what we will become when our love is complete.

It fits so much better with the overall Christ message, and is completely independent of whether or not you believe in a literal Savior (which I personally do not) – the message of love is universal and transcends all religions and belief systems.

[Anonymous]

Exactly. The goal is wholeness, completion, and full development – NOT an absence of mistakes.

[Anonymous]

I noticed the same thing about the context for this verse a few years ago, but still regarded it as a commandment. Interesting take.

DoubtingTom wrote:

Also I think we take this verse often alone by itself and it’s completely out of context.

Just… just this one?

I’ve come to strongly dislike the very idea of perfection. I don’t think it exists, except by the impoverished standard of “absence of mistakes” that Ray brought up. Not only that, but assuming it’s attainable even if just in theory tends to put us in a state of mind where instead of accepting people for who they are, we have to forgive them for who they’re not.

[Anonymous]

DoubtingTom wrote:

The “if” is if you can find a way to love even your enemies. The “therefore” is the conclusion or the promise that you will be perfect, or complete, as God is.

Verse 48 is not a commandment – it’s a promise! The promise that if you can increase your love for mankind to include even your enemies, then you are complete. The commandment is to love others.

Ok…this is a pretty cool interpretation. Totally cool. I like it and it makes a lot of sense.

And I love how that impacts the view of it. The words on the page are not any different, but yet…

On Own Now wrote:

This simple interpretation adjustment transformed that verse into one of my favorites.

That is very powerful.

Those scriptures from one point of view could be taken very strongly as pressure to have a perfection complex (stage 3 thinking it is literally true).

Exhaustion from that leads to a viewpoint that the scripture is one of the worst and most damaging teachings, and can’t be true (stage 4 thinking).

Then a light bulb goes on and it can be viewed another way, and we return to it and it becomes even more precious to us (stage 5 thinking).

Even if the words have not changed. We were not lied to, we were not taught false principles. But we can shift our paradigm, and find truth.

Thanks for sharing, Tom.

[Anonymous]

On Own Now wrote:

Consider how Luke tells the same passage as Matthew regarding how we should be. He/She doesn’t use the word “perfect”:

Quote:

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Excellent. I like “merciful” in that context. It feels very much like Christ’s teachings. Especially the hard parts…like love your enemies. How do you do that? In theory…I get it…but seriously…when terrorists kill innocent lives…we are supposed to love them?

These things are hard.

[Anonymous]

I agree. I wish that verse would always be read in the context of those preceding it.

[Anonymous]

Orson wrote:

I agree. I wish that verse would always be read in the context of those preceding it.

I think the word “therefore” should be replaced with “then.”

[Anonymous]

“Therefore” also can mean “in this way or manner”.

If read with that meaning, v.48 can be the capstone statement in the entire chapter about what it requires to be “blessed” (“bless-ed” being an internal state, not just a receiver of external blessings). This reading means internalizing the beatitudes and everything following in Chapter 5 lead to developing true love (exhibited by our actions, not just feelings) – which, when fully developed, makes us whole, complete, and fully developed – or godly.

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