Jesus on relationship 

Matthew 5:31-48 (New Living Translation)

31“You have heard the law that says, ‘A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.’ 32But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.

33“You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the lord.’ 34But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne.35And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. 36Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair or black. 37Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.

38“You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.40If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too.41If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles.42Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.

43“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!45In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

What part of your life could be most radically changed by these words?

How can we be perfect ? (1) In character. In this life we cannot be flawless, but we can aspire to be as much like Christ as possible. (2) In holiness. We are to separate ourselves from the world's sinful values and be devoted to God's desires rather than our own. (3) In maturity. We can't achieve Christlike character and holy living all at once, but we must grow towards maturity and wholeness. Just as we expect different behavior from a baby, a child, a teenager and an adult, so God expects different behavior from us, depending on our stage of spiritual development. (4) In love. We can seek to love others as completely as God loves us. We can be perfect if our behavior is appropriate for our maturity level--perfect, yet with much room to grow. Our tendency to sin must never deter us from striving to be more like Christ. Christ calls all of His disciples to excel, to rise above mediocrity, and to mature in every area, becoming like Him. Those who strive to become perfect will one day be perfect, even as Christ is perfect (1 John 3:2-3).