Streetlights New Testament - Flipbook - Page 20
M at t h e w 5
page 8
Who is God?
M AT T H E W 5
PERFECT
IN MATTHEW 5, we listen to Jesus breaking down
God’s way, God’s Kingdom, and God’s original desire
for how life should work in our world and our lives. If
you have read or listened to it, you may respond to
many of His statements in two ways: (1) That sounds
like a better world! or (2) Wow, that sounds perfect
. . . but I have failed in all those areas.
Jesus ends the chapter with the words “But you
are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven
[God] is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). That seems like a
tough standard to keep, or even think about keeping!
Perfect? Like, love my enemies when they have hurt
me? Don’t ever lust? Never lash out when I’m angry?
But the emphasis here is not simply on us. Jesus is
emphasizing that God is perfect. He establishes that
as impossible as it seems for us—broken people—
to be perfect, God remains perfect. And this is
still His desire for us. One of God’s defining
characteristics is that He is without flaw—
perfect in every way.
