At first glance, Matthew 5:48 is an overwhelming verse.
Matthew 5:48, "You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
This is an impossible task on our own. Therefore, this verse functions much like the OT law. The reality is that we cannot measure up.
Instead of being discouraged, we can take heart. In 5:48, Jesus is telling us that we need a perfect Savior to take our place in perfectly fulfilling the requirements of the law. We need a perfect substitute. Somewhat ironically, the one doing the teaching in 5:48 is the perfect substitute.
The beauty of the gospel is that Jesus fulfilled the perfection God commands in 5:48. This frees us up to live whole-heartedly for Christ, not trying to earn salvation, but rather enjoying it.
4 comments:
Eric,
You're right. Plus, if you put that verse in context, it's even more clear. Beginning in 5:17-20, Jesus says that he did not abolish the law, and that those who "enter the kingdom" must be more righteous than the Pharisees.
Next, Jesus demonstrates how to law is even more difficult to keep than the Pharisees think. Not only must they not murder, they also must not hate their brother. As Jesus comments on several "laws", he demonstrate that it is completely impossible to keep the law.
This concludes with 5:38, where Jesus says to be perfect.
Of course, the difficulty is that in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus doesn't specifically tell us how to be perfect. From other passages of Scripture, we find that our perfection (righteousness) comes through Christ himself, not our keeping of the law.
-Alan
Alan,
Exactly! I have been preaching through Matthew and have been emphasizing what you have said. The link between 5:20 and 5:48 is very important.
The Sermon on the Mount is so interesting because we must view it through the eyes of salvation and sanctification. Regarding salvation, it points to our inability to fulfill the law and our need for a Savior. Regarding sanctification, we should try to live up to these standards, but can take hope in the fact that we have the perfect Mediator when we fail (which is frequent, at least in my case).
Eric,
I prefer to think of the Sermon on the Mount and other similar teachings as a filter instead of something to "try to live up to". I can compare my life to the Sermon on the Mount and recognize my failures and my need for God's grace and God's Spirit. This would be the filter view. For me, when I try to live up to these standards, I usually end up trying to do things by my own power. But, that could be just me.
-Alan
Alan,
I think we are probably in agreement, but just using different terminology.
Thank God we will not be judged by our ability to obey!
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