journal/PERFECT

In Luke 18:11---ONE of the pharisees says:  "I thank you that I am NOT like the rest of
humanity"

DEAR LORD-please HELP US to never take this attitude-for we are ALL FLAWED in one
way or another-yet we all have some perfection in us-because we have a TRACE of you in us

HELP US to recognize that we do have flaws-and by DOING SO-RESPOND to others with
COMPASSION when they are IN NEED

it is A GREAT DAY to be ALIVE! in your LOVE for us-FLAWS and all




















PERFECT




Are you perfect
Have you ACHIEVED perfection


I can ONLY answer this
For myself
NO and NO


But I can tell you
That by the attitude and actions
Of some people in this world
They think-they have


ANYONE
Who thinks they are
I don't know
HOW to break it to you
You are not


NOT even Jesus
Thought himself to be perfect
In fact
He even questioned
Whether he was good


A man once came up
To him and asked,


“TEACHER
What good thing must I do
To get eternal life?'


Jesus replied
“Why do you ask me
About what is good


There is ONLY ONE
Who is good (implying that ONLY THE FATHER is GOOD)
If you want
To enter life
OBEY the commandments” Matthew 19:16-17


Of course
We KNOW he was good
And the ENTIRE world
KNOWS NOW
He was PERFECT


He answered this way
Because of HIS HUMILITY
Which is something
A lot of us
NEED to learn
In this modern 21st century


Did you ever notice
That in the discussions in this world
And in the disagreements
Each side
OFTEN sees itself-and its position or opinion
As not only right but “PERFECT”


PIOUS righteousness
As if their opinion
Was OUR GOD the FATHER'S position


One thing
We all need to do
For ourselves
Is to admit to our own imperfections


For me
Probably Jesus' most difficult teaching
Is found in Matthew chapter 5


“BUT I tell you
LOVE your enemies
And PRAY for those
Who persecute you
That you may be sons
Of our Father in heaven


He causes his sun
To rise
On the evil and the good
And sends rain
On the righteous
And the unrighteous


If you LOVE THOSE
Who love you
What reward
Will you get


Are not
Even the tax collectors doing this


And if you greet
ONLY your brothers
What are you doing more
Than others


Do not
EVEN the pagans do this


BE PERFECT
Therefore
As your heavenly Father
Is PERFECT” Matthew 5:44-47


Maybe not physical perfection
Like Bo Derek in the 1979 movie,”TEN”


But maybe Jesus is asking us
To do our BEST
At trying to achieve INTERNAL PERFECTION


To the JEWISH people
GOD'S MERCY was God's PERFECTION


It makes you wonder
When Jesus-as he was
DYING on the cross
And said,


“Father FORGIVE them
For they do NOT know
What they are doing” Luke 22:34


WHY the people
STILL couldn't see it


And during HIS life
Jesus said,


“BE MERCIFUL
Just as your Father
Is merciful” Luke 6:36


He said it
He did it
HE WAS PERFECT


I am not
Are you


Robert P. Wallman
March 16^th, 2014




Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH magazine by Patricia Livingston



on sites 3-29-14