Saturday of the First Week of Lent
Perhaps of all the admonitions in scripture, Jesus’s request to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect exists as the greatest challenge. One wonder’s what Jesus was thinking when he held God up as a standard for those of us who struggle with the challenges of everyday life. One consolation from this reading that can be extracted is that Jesus has confidence in our efforts. Good teachers know that you set a goal that is both challenging but still attainable. Only a poor teacher would set a goal that no one could attain. Our call to perfection may be a struggle, and fulfillment of this desire may be far in the future. The goal is there and one step at a time with the Lord’s guidance may give us the confidence to know that we may meet some of Jesus’ high expectations.