MONDAY, AUGUST 13
Scripture: Matthew 5:40-48

If we had continued to the end of the passage we would have noticed how Jesus balanced the love message, “Therefore you shall be tel-i-os/perfect, just as your Father in heaven is tel-i-os/perfect.” “Perfect” is a terrible translation for the Greek word tel-i-os. Most of us who read “perfect” immediately think that for us it is too late for perfection. We are not, have never been and likely never will be perfect. We can mentally dismiss this part of the passage as a result. The unique thing about tel-i-os is that it does not mean “perfect” as much as it means, ‘grow into completion so that we can shoulder and fulfill our destiny.’ When Jesus said, “…be tel-i-os, just as your Father in heaven is tel-i-os…” what He was saying is “Love the way your Heavenly Father loves.” If we do that, we will find ourselves resisting evil more than we are not resisting evil.