A Realization
After a conversation with someone who shared my last post in some social media groups and their perspective that the post elicited some good discussion, I’ve come to terms with the reality that I’m an essayist. This is a revelation and relief for me because I’ve been working on a book that’s hit a wall in the writing portion, but presenting the ideas as a series of essays seems both more enjoyable and less time consuming. So here goes.
Perfectly Wrong
In preparation for preaching in the year of Matthew, I spent some time in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). When I reached the end of chapter 5, I realized that Jesus is calling out the idea of perfectionism—even the modern version of it—but we blow right past that, if we even get it in worship (which we don’t this time through the cycle if you’re following the Revised Common Lectionary).
The fist chapter of Jesus’ Sermon in the Mount ends with the line:
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
— Matthew 5:48 (NRSVue)
But what in the world does he mean by perfect? It can’t be as simple as not making any mistakes. This question, with some prodding from my wife, sent me into the Greek and Hebrew words we translate as perfect, and what I found is that there is a shift in the idea of perfection that happens in the intertestamental period. But that’s getting ahead of myself. First comes the question of why this idea of being perfect like God is perfect messes with my mind.
Made Good and Imperfect
One of the mind twists for me with this verse is that I know God made us good, good, and very good in their own image. I also know, however, that God made us with the capacity to do that which God does not want us to do. Part of God’s perfect creation, at least since God made humans if not before, includes the capacity for (at least) humans to be imperfect, to do that which God does not want us to do.
How you make sense of this will strike at the heart of your theology, even if you don’t claim to be a theologian. Here’s my answer: God wants full relationship, and full relationships are only possible if those to whom you are relating can break the relationship. It’s a consent issue. You can’t be in a full relationship with someone who cannot choose whether or not they are part of that relationship.
Part of the Creator’s perfection makes room for imperfection for the sake of relationship.
The Perfect Rise
So why is one vocal approach to Christianity the idea that Jesus’ call to perfection in the Sermon in the Mount is about never messing up? The heart of the idea of perfectionism is trying to escape God’s judgment. This fear drives us to make sure we do all the right things all of the time, which isn’t possible and breaks the prime commandment to let God be God.
Control is antithetical to relationship. Relationships are messy and enjoyable and uncontrollable and sometimes painful and a way God might be calling us into vocation and a gift and… But attempts to control what other people are doing go beyond God’s own model for the purpose and role of law. God does not control us like a puppeteer making the puppets dance.
God creates space for us to do what God does not want us to do. But that’s scary. Better to make sure we do the right things because that way we have control over what God can do to us. But this is idolatry.
If being perfect means I get to tell God what to do or I have some leverage against God for what has happened in my life, I’ve just (at best) made faith transactional or (at worst) am trying to tell God that I could do their job better. Hmm…