Matthew 5:48

"Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." ~ Matthew 5:48

Also in Leviticus 19:1-2
Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, 'You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.'"

In Deuteronomy 18:13
"You shall be blameless before the LORD your God."

We are called to be perfect and blameless. How are we to do this?

Jesus gave instructions and examples in Chapter 5 and will continue to do so in the next two chapters as He continues with this sermon from a mountain.

The only way we can be perfect and blameless before God is through the blood of Jesus. We still need to try to live perfectly.

My life is far from perfect. The list of things done that shouldn't be and the things left undone that should be, is long. God has been working in my heart to let go of the heaping of judgements on myself when I fall short of living perfectly.

The most important thing is the working toward living blamelessly before God because of our love for Him and our love for His children, all those He created.

Mother Teresa is often held up as an example of someone who embodies much of what was covered in this chapter.

She was humble and full of compassion and cared for so many. She requested that some of her writings be burned for fear people would glorify her and take attention off of Jesus. She struggled with feeling disconnected from Jesus but continued to fulfill His calling on her life in such a way that watching her you would not know.

I think Mother Ter4esa would have been the first to tell you that she was not perfect, but it is also clear that she strove to live the way Jesus wants us to live. Humbly loving and caring for others.