REFLECTION

Jesus said to his disciples: "You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand over your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.

"You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same?

So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect                             Mt 5:38-48

Reflection

As I read Matthew’s gospel for today I was met with mixed emotions. The further I read into it, the more energised I became. I felt like I was in the change rooms at halftime during a big game and our coach was rallying the team. It was as if our coach was reminding us of the plays that we had all practised with guidance and encouragement. The further I read, the more excited I became. I especially loved the second half of the reading when he is getting us to recognise that all people are the same. This is as important in today’s world as it has ever been. It speaks to racism, sexism, and every other -ism that drives disconnection within our society. It’s a clear message that everyone was created by God and at the core of each person is the sameness that must be recognised (as we get out there for the second half of the game). It is a great halftime speech to pump up the team.

But, then I read the last line, “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” My heart kind-of sank a bit. “How can I be perfect?” I don’t think I can play the second half of the game without missing a shot, making a bad pass, or dropping the ball. It seems like a lot of pressure and I needed to sit with this for a bit to see if I could come to a better understanding.

As I thought about it, I think the meaning of “perfection” that we all think about in today’s culture is not the same as what Jesus is talking about in Matthew's gospel. In our society today, we all feel the pressure of performing at a high level. We seem to almost expect a “no mistake” performance from our children in school and on the playing field, with our jobs, our finances, and in our relationships. It seems to be an evolution of our modern way of living that has progressively gotten more intense throughout the last 200 years of history. But, this cannot be what Jesus meant. His “perfection” and our “perfection” have two different meanings. I think that Jesus is talking about living within our True-Self. Our True-Self is at the core of who we are and is rooted in love because it is a gift from God – a perfect gift from God. Each of us has a True-Self, but sometimes we act out of our false-self – the one that is based on ego. When we act out of our false-self we are easily offended and see others as different from us. This “othering” is what leads to the dualism that Jesus calls us to avoid in today’s gospel. But, if we act out of our True-Self, out of Love, then we see all people as having the same True-Self core, which is to say God. There is no other way to see another person then as the same, regardless of gender, race, age, colour, religious belief, or political affiliation. The false-self is imperfect, but the True-Self is perfect. Great speech Coach!

Julie Leonard

Religious Education Leader/Wellbeing Leader