2 Corinthians 8:1-9
Matthew 5:43-48
To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often. (Winston Churchill).
For the past few days, we have been listening to our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount. In today’s gospel, we are confronted with the most difficult and important aspect of that sermon which says; “ love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect”.
In other words, our Lord tells us that to ‘love an enemy’ is to demonstrate that we are children of our heavenly Father. God’s love is merciful, rises on good and bad, and the rain falls on the honest and dishonest alike.
We were made perfect through the greatest act of love; Christ laid down his life for our sake, so that we too may lay down our lives for the sake of others. He was raised back to life so that we too can raise others from zero to hope. In other words, The perfect person does good through love. (Clement of Alexandria)
It means therefore that, Divine love is what brings us to perfection – perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. Love is what calls us to be whole – to grow into the person that God is calling us to be – one with Him, one as Brothers and Sisters of Christ, one with the very Spirit of God within us
Fr Joseph Osho