3: Being Perfect
“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)
In last week's article, we explored how the depiction of Jesus's perfection has evolved in art. Today, let's focus on how the film industry has grappled with portraying Jesus's actions. Some of the earliest Jesus movies depict him as robotic and stiff, almost like staged paintings with limited motion. It's as if early directors were so accustomed to the still image of perfection that bringing it to life seemed impossible.
But here's the thing: perfection is not robotic. If it were, it wouldn't be true perfection. Jesus, though our image of perfection, wasn't a robot, and he didn't always win at everything. A few years ago, I posed some fun theological questions on Instagram, such as: "When Jesus was on earth, was he bad at anything, like singing, dancing, or sports?" Some responses were over-the-top, suggesting Jesus could have been the next pop star. Of course, I don't know the answer to that question—it was meant to be light-hearted—but it sparked an interesting discussion about our insecurities and how they shape our view of perfection.
So, does society's view of perfection equate to being robotic? Is it simply knowing everything and giving the correct responses on cue? Take dancing, for example. It's not a sin to be a bad dancer. Dancing comes from an internal freedom. Even if your moves aren't great, your ability doesn't matter. You're free. You don't care about the external because you're moving from the internal, embracing grace even if you look goofy.
As the second member of the Trinity, Jesus found his completeness in his community with the Father and the Spirit. Jesus's perfection wasn't about sheer willpower but about the perspective he lived from. As the truest human, he faced many hardships. Hebrews 4:15 tells us,
"For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin."
Jesus experienced rejection by his family, betrayal by friends, false accusations, and the loss of loved ones. But he didn't view these situations through a self-protective lens. Rooted in the flow of the Trinity, Jesus saw every problem as a symptom of the state of someone's spirit. He saw each person as a reflection of his Father and worked to bring out that divine part, even if he didn't feel a personal connection to them.
1 John 2:16 categorizes sin into three types: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Early in his ministry, Jesus was led by the Spirit from his baptism into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil (Matthew 4:1-11). Here, we see the Trinity in action: the Father spoke at his baptism, the Son was on the ground, and the Spirit directed him. Mark adds that Jesus was surrounded by desert wildlife (Mark 1:13). The Word made flesh is informed by his Father and led by the Spirit as he navigates a wilderness environment filled with creatures who follow their instincts. Yet, during his temptation, Jesus fasted (controlled his intake), quoted scripture (leaned on truth), and used the power of 'no' (just because you can doesn't mean you should).
Next week, we'll delve into how Jesus's life provides a blueprint for a new humanity, demonstrating a new way to live through his actions and teachings.
