Love, not perfection

a 'perfect' red rose budding through

the January snow on the side of my home

In the readings we’ve heard this morning – some of God’s instructions to Moses as recounted in Leviticus as well as Jesus’ instructions to disciples as recalled by the author of Matthew – our calls to love and perfection seem clear.  

Love and Perfection as divine dance partners might seem folly upon initial consideration.  If perceived of as a pure virtue or idea, love might seem perfect… but the reality of how most of us experience love is more emotionally messy and prone to imperfection.  And, perfection, if imagined as a static state of being that is without flaw doesn’t really leave mortals much room to operate.

God says to Moses, “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy” and “you shall love your neighbor as yourself”. (Lev 19:1-2, 18)

Jesus says to his disciples, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” and “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”. (Matt 5:48, 44).

Indeed, it would seem that we’re being told that we ought to be holy and perfect, and that we must love everyone.  If we don’t take a more critical examination of what is meant by this, we might be tempted to dismiss it as unrealistic sentimentalism – sounds great, but I’ll never be perfect… and I surely can’t love everyone.

What we should consider this morning is that the Hebrew and Greek words translated as holy/perfect and love in these passages are less about actually achieving a flawless state of being and more about maturing through a process of justification or sanctification through the continual expression of a special sort of affection toward our sisters and brothers, joined as we are in God’s family through and with Christ.

HOLY / PERFECT

In Leviticus, this passage we’ve heard is from a section of this book of law known as the Holiness Code.  Contain herein, including a recap of some of the most well-known biblical ‘commandments,’ are ethical instructions to the people of God about how to live toward God’s own holiness, a more perfect union that God intends for/with us – a reunion of relationship with God and with our neighbors as one holy family. 

The word herein that is translated as “holy” refers to differentiation or separation from the profane, movement away from conditions and situations that are considered unclean (things that taint our perspectives and threaten to separate us from faithful and loving relationship with God and our neighbors), and towards the purity of the divine. 

And, in the context of the Gospel reading from Matthew, the word translated as ”perfect” might more comprehensively be read as meaning to be mature, complete, or inclusive in steadfast faith and love.  Also note that in Luke’s version of this sermon, he has Jesus saying, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)

In other words, we can hear that to “be holy” or to “be perfect” is to be faithful in moving away from situations that separate us from God and towards conditions that cultivate more inclusive, mature relationships with our blessed kindred in Christ. 

‘Holy’ and ‘perfect’ speak about a process more than a product… a way of becoming, not a finished state of being.

Ok, so what does it really mean to be more holy and perfect like our God?  This is where the instructions about special affection – love – toward our neighbors are illustrative.

LOVE

In their contexts - in the time of Moses being told to love neighbors and in the time of Jesus telling his followers to love their enemies – as well as in our own time, the idea that we should actively and affirmatively ‘love’ strangers or people who seek to do us harm is provocative to say the least. 

First, let’s be clear what type of ‘love’ we’re dealing with.  The words translated as “love” (Hebrew: אהב  Greek: ἀγάπη) in both of the readings today are neither referring to sensual or erotic affections, nor to merely civil or virtuous friendship.  In Greek, the type of love being referred to here is known as agape, which is describing an intimate bond that inspires charity and sacrifice, often in familial relationships.

So, we’re not just being called to be nice to people.  We’re being told to be sacrificial and charitable in our bonding with strangers and enemies just as we would for the loved ones in our own family… because this is the sort of love that God has for all of God’s beloved family.

What does expressing this sort of love toward others actually look and sound like in action? 

In context of the Holiness Code from Leviticus, it might initially sound a little like we’re simply to be nice – we’re told not show favor to any one sort of person, nor be slanderous, hateful, or begrudging.  But there’s more to exemplifying this sort of holy agape.  We’re also instructed not to hoard our resources selfishly, but to be charitable and share some of them with those in need.  We’re told to be honest in our transactions and not to swindle others for our own gain or take advantage of the weaknesses of others for our advancement.  In short, being loving to neighbors and strangers is an active process, not just a passive state of mind or heart.  Our actions toward others should be characterized by an unbiased altruism, mercy, compassion, and truthfulness.

In the context of Jesus’ sermon [from the mount] to his followers, to express agape toward your enemies is an even taller order than the ethical commands in Leviticus.  First, he makes it clear that it’s not sufficient to simply return love in-kind to those who express love to you – that’s easy.  And, Jesus moves beyond previously held notions about who was worthy or clean enough for God’s love by proclaiming that God’s love rests upon the good and bad alike.  Let me repeat that.  God’s redeeming love is offered to everyone under the sun; therefore, so should our charitable and sacrificial affection be offered to everyone - the good and bad, the pure and unclean alike. 

Second, Jesus also calls us to something even more profound than ethical behavior in his instructions about how we are to express agape toward our enemies and those who aim to hurt us.  Rather than return violence with any form violence (and eye for an eye), he instructs us not to cooperate with harm of any kind and, in fact, to wield our love in a way that neutralizes or reverses any spiral of violence. 

To be clear, he’s not telling us to roll-over and passively surrender to or accept harm or abuse.  Neither is he telling us to defend ourselves in a traditional way.  Rather, he’s telling us to affirmatively and assertively return love when confronted with anger, hate, and persecution… not just to stand up stoically in the face of opposition; but to actively become even more humane to those who attempt to dominate us or strip us of dignity or humanity. 

Some have called this “non-adversarial defiance” or non-violent resistance.  And, it’s more than that.  More than just resisting underlying patterns of dominance and hostility in win-lose paradigm, Jesus is calling us to move beyond any tit-for-tat temptations based on retribution or retaliation (Exodus 21, Leviticus 24, and Deut 19) into a way of being – a perfect and holy process – that redeems humanity and restores goodness through a radical giving of ourselves with the faith that we’re loving more perfectly with Christ.

This is about far more than being nice those who are mean to you.  Jesus’ call to love our enemy is a provocative, alternative way of living in which preservation of our own life does not take precedent over growing toward holy and perfect love.  This about opting out of worldly wisdom based in self-preservation and into divine wisdom about redemption and salvation through self-giving love, even in the face of violent death.  Even when nailed to the cross and hung up in naked humiliation before his tormenters, Jesus prayed for those who did this to him – “forgive them Father, they don’t know what they’re doing.” (Luke 23:43)

(pause)

Clearly, I’ve spent more time on the topic of love than on perfection. I believe the Word of God does to.  I don’t believe we’re being called to perfection in the way we traditionally hear that term.  This isn’t about eventually getting everything ‘right’ or being flawlessly ‘right’ – our call is to be in holy, right relationship with God and others through a process of loving that is actively seeking to repair what is broken, especially in the midst of countervailing forces that want to keep us apart and break us down.

So what do you leave this morning hearing in your heart?  Reflect on who you enemies are – who seeks to do you harm.  What would it look or sound like for you to move out of having to defend yourself against them and to move into actions that will change the game – moving us toward hope instead of fear?  If Jesus were to walk with you this next week, where would he point you toward more love, rather than perfection? 

I close with author Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of part of today’s Gospel lesson:

You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. 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."

AMEN.