Be Perfect

Russian poet and Christian intellectual Irina Ratushinskaya was something of a celebrity in the late 1980's. She was sentenced to seven years' detention in a labour camp for alleged activities against the Soviet state. Having secretly composed in prison a number of poems on nature, beauty and faith, she was dramatically released after just under four years. She went on to write a number of works, one on her prison experiences famously entitled Grey is the Colour of Hope. A day or two ago I read a meditation by her on Matthew 5:48 “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect”. Ratushinskaya reflects, “It is the most shocking demand on Man: absolute perfection. No less than that. Is this really addressed to us? To people for whom it is already quite an achievement just to realise their own sinfulness? “Some people think that the acknowledgement of sinfulness is a pretty spiritual achievement. But does it help? It is not just the diagnosis, but medical treatment that is needed for the recovery of a sick person. “We often hear people say 'I’m no saint', even with some kind of satisfaction, as if to say, 'I admit that I am no saint, so I have fulfilled my duty.' But that is only part of the duty. “Every demand made by Christ also contains a promise. He does not only command us to do things, He also offers us His help. If we would only believe it is possible! Perfection is an infinitely daring concept. It requires courage even to imagine it. Nevertheless the demand is addressed to you and to me. “How do our hearts respond to this demand … and to the promise of this miracle?” Thinking about the reference to diagnosis, I recall the sadness I feel sometimes when people are interviewed after a long run-in with the medical profession. They may well remark, “I have at last had my diagnosis”. In other words, after endless months of seeing different specialists, their mystery illness has finally been given a name! You feel that these poor people are condemned to a restricted existence with endless chips on the shoulder, grievance procedures and campaigns to have their voices heard. Needless to say, none of this takes them further forward in terms of a cure. There may only be one immediate advantage. Being able to put a name to the illness they've got may entitle them to certain state benefits that would otherwise be unavailable to them. That is surely small comfort. Spiritually, the seeker who genuinely comes to Christ has his or her eyes opened to a diagnosis of their condition. That diagnosis is a case of built-in sin. Now open to spiritual guidance, they are prepared to accept that judgment on their situation. I actually believe it is good for us to label ourselves in God's presence as “the sinner”, just as the tax-gatherer in one of Jesus' parables did. The Pharisee sounded off about how good he was – “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’” (Luke 18:13 ESV). Sinners we are and sinners we remain while earthly life lasts, but there is a difference if we come to Christ: we become sinners saved by grace. Not just a bit saved, not merely saved “just enough”, but saved, ultimately, to the uttermost extent. Without that, we would not be fit to appear in heaven. And so Jesus instructs us, “Be perfect”. “Easier said than done,” you mutter through clenched teeth. But that is the logical conclusion, if being imperfect renders us unfit for heaven. So where is the promise of help that Irina Ratushinskaya holds out before us? Undoubtedly Jesus wasn't talking about a superhuman perfection. He was talking about what is realistic for us now. He wanted His followers not to merely conform outwardly to a set of rules, but to strive for a heartfelt imitation of God's way: forgiveness, patience, tenderness, earnestness and so on. In other words they are to be patterned after God the Father's perfect love. As for the promise of help, William Hendriksen has some worthwhile words on the subject: “This kind of finite love is, nevertheless, attainable. How do we know? Because of the very fact that he is our heavenly Father, who will, for that very reason, not withhold this gift from his children.”