You’ve Heard It Said — But I Say to You
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” — Matthew 5:48
If Jesus was trying to make us feel comfortable in our walk with God, He failed miserably in Matthew 5.
This section of the Sermon on the Mount is like standing in front of a mirror you can’t escape—one that shows you just how far short you fall. so, let’s talk about why that’s good news.
Not What You Expected
In Matthew 5:21–48, Jesus says, “You’ve heard it said… but I say to you.” From there, He takes each commandment and pushes it even deeper.
Murder? It’s not just about taking life—it’s about harboring anger.
Adultery? It’s not just physical—it’s in the look, the thought, the secret moment.
Justice? It’s not revenge—it’s radical grace. Enemies? Don’t just avoid them—love them.
And then He ends with this: “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Let’s be honest. This sounds like a new law that’s even more crushing than the old one. And if we read this apart from the gospel, it absolutely is.
Here’s what’s happening: Jesus is not replacing the old law with something new. He’s revealing what the law has always demanded—perfection. Not just outward conformity, but inward holiness. Not just cleaned-up behavior, but a heart that loves God and neighbor flawlessly, all the time.
This isn’t Jesus giving us a higher standard so we can try harder. It’s Jesus showing us that we never had a shot to begin with.
The law was always meant to do more than manage your behavior. It was meant to expose your heart. And when it does, it doesn’t give you a ladder to climb—it gives you a verdict: guilty.
The Gospel Breaks In
But here’s where the gospel shines.
Jesus didn’t come to give better laws. He came to fulfill them for people who break them daily. And He’s not laying these standards on us as a burden. He’s laying them out to show us the depth of our need for Him. If you’re crushed by this passage, then good. That’s the law doing its job. But don’t stop there. Let the weight of it drive you to Jesus, who obeyed every single command in this section—not just outwardly, but with a pure heart.
He never lusted. He never hated. He never retaliated in selfish anger. He loved His enemies. He lived this righteousness perfectly, and then died for your unrighteousness completely. And He did all of this for you.
If you read this passage and decide to “try harder,” you’ve missed the point. The right response is not resolve to do better, but rest. Rest in the righteousness of Christ that is credited to you by faith. Rest in the grace that covers angry thoughts, wandering eyes, unloving moments, and half-hearted forgiveness.
When He says, “Be perfect,” it’s not a command you can keep. It’s a need only He can meet.
And He has.