be perfect (Matt 5:48)

Matthew 5:48

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Be more righteous than the Pharisees! Be perfect! Jesus certainly makes some serious demands. People may look to the sermon on the mount as the pinnacle of Jesus' moral teaching which we should all just follow to make the world a better place but that probably just shows they haven't bothered to really think about what Jesus is saying. He summarises his message in chapter 5 by telling us to be perfect! It's not exactly an achievable strategy for work peace is it?

Jesus' teaching in this first part of the sermon on the mount should not leave us full of ourselves and our own ability to change. He has shown:

• that the law goes deeper than external behaviour and penetrates to the deepest desires of the heart
• at that level we are all guilty. We may not have murdered, but we have been angry. We may not have had an affair but we have looked lustfully at others. We have twisted the truth, we have wanted to retaliate to those who have wronged us and we have wished ill on our enemies instead of loving them. We have all failed to be perfect. We are all way off the mark.
• We need something more than trying harder. We need a Saviour. We need to look away from our performance and towards Jesus' performance on our behalf. He kept the law. He was perfect. His righteousness did exceed that of the Pharisees. And on the cross, he died for our sin and clothed us in his righteousness.
• As a result of Jesus death we are forgiven and we also receive the Holy Spirit, empowering us to live differently. We are no longer enslaved by sin and can live as a community of believers who begin to reflect Jesus' teachings. We will not manage it perfectly but that again shows us and those around us of the need for the Perfect One.