"So be perfect*, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." d. Matthew 5:48

Matthew 5:48 "So be perfect*, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." d.

*Perfect: in the gospels this word occurs only in Matthew, here and in Mt 19:21. The Lucan parallel (Lk 6:36) demands that the disciples be merciful.

d. [5:48] Lv 11:44; 19:2; Dt 18:13; Jas 1:4; 1 Pt 1:16; 1 Jn 3:3.

"The LORD said to Moses: Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them: Be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy.* a. 

Leviticus 19: 1-2

* [19:2] Be holy, for I…am holy: in the writings commonly attributed to the Priestly collection, Israel is called to be holy through obeying God’s precepts (11:44–45; 20:7–8, 24–26; Nm 15:40–41). Cf. Dt 14:2, 21; 26:19; and Ex 19:6.

a. [19:2] Lv 11:44.

perfect? holy? how can this be? 

only God is perfect. only God is holy. 

maybe in another life? 

maybe.