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Perfection is a heavenly quality, but achieving it requires earthly sacrifice. Christ made it painfully clear, that the road to perfection is paved with suffering and loss. More than once He used the image of taking up the cross to describe what would befall His followers in this life. But what purpose would all the labors in this life serve if in the end we all simply returned to the dust? What indeed could inspire anyone to strive, to suffer, to sacrifice, and to do this all the days of their lives, if, in the end, there were no reward? (148:2) Together with his call for perfection in body and spirit, in word and in deed, Christ, therefore, to a far greater degree than any of God's Messengers preceding Him, insistently offered a vision of a joyous and everlasting life in the world to come - a life not subject to the material attractions and possessions of this life: (148:3) Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: (148:4) But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. Matthew 6:6-7 (148:5) Eternal life: a wondrous theme and reality. Christ did not reveal the details of the world to come, but through the images he offered, He left no doubt as to its significance. He made very clear the fact that we have no choice other than to live eternally. The way in which we spend eternity, however, is up to us. We will either spend it with Christ and the Prophets in comfort, or without Their presence, in the torment of a hell of our own choosing: and great is the gulf fixed between them! (148:6) The knowledge of eternal life in an eternal kingdom ruled by the eternal God puts this mortal life into perspective. Christ persistently drew our attention away from the preoccupation with the transient nature of this world "for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth" . The children of men, if they were to attain the perfection He desired, had to hate the earthly and love the heavenly. They had to rely absolutely on the Father, and have faith that His grace would not fail them (148:7) Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? (148:8) Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? (148:9) ..Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (148:10) (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things (148:11) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:25-33
(148:12)
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