That Ye May Be the Children of Your Father which is in Heaven

Matthew 5

All of the examples Christ gives imply that he is not just looking at your outward actions, but he is looking at the condition of your heart

-"Ye have heard it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be danger of the judgement. But I say unto you whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgement" (Matthew 5:21-22)

-"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time: Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." (27-28)

So why does that matter? Why does it matter what your heart, thoughts, and inner workings are?

From what I gather, it all comes down to who you are and who you will become. Actions are based off of internal thoughts, beliefs, and where your heart is. If you are angry or upset with someone internally, even if you treat them well externally, you are only doing yourself damage in the long run. Eventually, your true inner feelings will come out, one way or anther, whether it's through a snarky, rude remark, the way you treat them (intentionally or unintentionally, etc), or anything else, you are the one who suffers most on the inside.

Why is it important to learn to treat ALL (not just those who are kind to you, but everyone) with respect?

Christ says that if we are really to be the light of the world (following his example) we need to treat others the way God treats them. Why? 

"That ye may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven: for maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain to the just and on the unjust."

"For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your father in Heaven." (45-48)

Looking at the Greek translation of perfect gives us "teleos." According to the Greek translation, there are three main ideas associated with this word:

1. that which is complete — which contains all the requisite parts.

2. that which is so good that nothing of the kind could be better.

3. that which has attained its purpose.

So looking at being perfect like God indicates that we are complete and have the capacity to still feel the whole spectrum of human emotions (think of Enoch seeing God weep). I feel, the biggest difference between us and God at this point, is that because He is a complete (perfected) immortal Being, He has a full understanding of how to appropriately express His emotions. That doesn't mean He still doesn't feel anger, disappointment, grief, pain, discouragement and sadness. It means that His love for us is also complete (perfect), which allows Him to look beyond our flaws, mistakes, and weaknesses, and allows Him to help us become the best we can be.

If we are to become like our Father in Heaven, the best way to do that is to follow the perfect example of Christ, who is the light of the world. As we follow His example and become like Him, we will shine that good old light as well.

Some others reasons to learn to become like God:

-Preparing us to be earthly parents one day- learning to love and respect your children even when they act against your beliefs

-Preparing to be Heavenly Parents one day

I think reading this chapter overall reminded me the importance of checking my motivations, emotions, and actions on a consistent basis. I know I still have a lot of work to do with keeping my emotions in check, and I know that one of my weaknesses that I want to improve on is making sure I don't let my emotions cloud reality (like getting anxious or frustrated or upset over an issue that is not really as big a deal that I think it is).

I'm grateful for the chance to improve my weaknesses through God's help, and by doing so, improve my relationships with those around me. Hope you have a great day!

Emlily