231 - We Must Be Perfect
- Gwen Diaz
- Aug 19, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 31
AUGUST 19- Nº 231 Matthew 5:13-48
The sermons Jesus preached on the hillsides around the Sea of Galilee amazed his listeners. His principles contradicted most of the ones their religious leaders lived by and taught. Jesus wanted his followers’ lives to be different. He wanted them not only to be blessed by God(see #230 - August 18); he wanted them to bless others.
Just like salt added flavor and took away the bitterness in their food, he wanted the actions of his disciples to add satisfaction to the lives of others. And, in the same way that salt protected and preserved their food, he wanted their faith to show others where they could find safety and security. He wanted them to shine like oil lamps in a dark room. Their good deeds should cause others to see God and want to praise Him.
Jesus knew that the Pharisees were terribly hung up on obeying the Law—so much so that they had added thousands of regulations to the 613 commands already written in the Old Testament. And they demanded strict obedience to every one of them. The problem was, they only measured obedience externally. They never dealt with what was going on inside their minds and hearts.
Jesus pointed out that if someone really wanted to fulfill the Law, their thoughts and intentions had to be 100% pure. He explained that this kind of righteousness—the kind required to live in God’s presence—far exceeded anything practiced by the Pharisees (see Matthew 5:20 and 48)! (As you can imagine, that statement did not go over very well with the religious leaders!)
But the truth was, no one could live a life that was pure enough to meet God's standards—no one except Jesus! Only he could fulfill all the requirements of the Law both externally and internally. And that is exactly why he came—to fulfill the Law that no one else could (see Matthew 5:17)!
Jesus gave his followers several examples of how the Pharisees' interpretation of keeping the Law did not measure up to God’s standards. Many times, he said to them, “You have heard it said . . .” referring to an Old Testament Law and what the Pharisees taught about keeping it. Then he contrasted the Pharisees' interpretation with what God really meant for them to understand and do.
Take for example the Old Testament Law: "You shall not murder." The Pharisees felt that they had kept this Law as long as there was no dead body. But Jesus explained that murder actually took place when someone became angry with another person in their heart--even if there was no external action.
Here's another example: You shall not commit adultery. The Pharisees taught that violation of this Law involved sexual action. But Jesus said that sexual desire outside of marriage was sinful. In fact, it was wrong to look at anything that would cause such a desire.
Another Old Testament Law that the Pharisees liked to enforce was: An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. Jesus no longer wanted his followers to resent insults or physically retaliate for injustice. He wanted his disciples to be patient and loving even toward their enemies.
The Pharisees taught that it was okay to break a promise unless you had sworn by God’s name that you would keep it. Jesus instructed his followers differently. He wanted them to keep every promise they made and to live up to every word that came out of their mouths without making any oaths.
The point Jesus was making was that no matter how good we are, we will always fall short of God’s standards for holiness.
Jesus is the only one who ever obeyed the Law perfectly. He never sinned!
Yet he was willing to take our punishment when he died on the cross. He fulfilled the requirements of the Law for us, so we don’t have to!
There is only one requirement: We must be willing to accept Jesus' sacrifice in our place. Have you done this?
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