Editorial September 15, 1951 Issue

STANDARD AND UNDERSTANDING

Robert Ellis Key

No one can work successfully without employing a standard. The grocer who weighs out a pound of vegetables for his customer uses as his standard a weight passed by the office of weights and measures. The linen draper measuring off a yard of cloth does so by means of a standard yard measure. An artist employs a model for his picture or turns to nature. We have a recognized standard for conduct, a commercial standard, a gold standard, and so on. Everywhere we find standards. Sometimes human standards are low, sometimes high; but all of them lack one essential quality—perfection.

Where is a perfect standard to be found, and if found, is it possible to maintain it? Turning to the fifth chapter of Matthew, we find a perfect standard given by Christ Jesus in these words: "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." This standard is absolute. Jesus does not invite us to approach the standard of perfection; he commands us to be perfect.

In looking around the material world, we do not find a perfect standard anywhere. The standard of Christ Jesus—perfect God and perfect man—does not, however, refer to the material world or to sick humanity. The Master did not invite his disciples to conform to any particular material standard. God maintains His own standard, and man is included in God's maintenance. Since God, divine Principle, maintains a perfect standard and includes man in this perfection, whatever appears to be man, but is outside the realm of perfection, is not man as God knows him.

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