Imitation

Wright provides a comical illustration about imitating God (v. 48). He writes about a father who went away on a business trip. “‘When I’m away,’ he said [to his oldest son], ‘I want you to think what I would normally do around the house, and you do it for me.’ He had in mind, of course, clearing up in the kitchen, washing up dishes, putting out the garbage, and similar tasks. On his return, he asked his wife what the son had done. ‘Well,’ she said, ‘it was very strange. Straight after breakfast he made himself another cup of coffee, went into the living room, and put on some loud music, and read the newspaper for half an hour.’ The father was left wondering whether his son had obeyed him a bit too accurately.” We must learn to imitate our heavenly father who provides us a perfect example of how to function in his creation (N. T. Wright, Matthew for Everyone, Part 1, 50)