Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; ²⁸ but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹ If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ³⁰ If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.

³¹ “It was said, ‘Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce’; ³² but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

³³ “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ ³⁴ But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, ³⁵ or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶ Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷ But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ ³⁹ But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. ⁴⁰ If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. ⁴¹ Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. ⁴² Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? ⁴⁸ Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Yesterday as we looked at the previous portion of Matthew 5, we saw that Jesus said He did not come to abolish the law, ie 10 commandments etc, He came to fulfill the law. Man had been unable to live up to and keep the requirements of the law. Jesus came, not to do away with the need for righteousness, but rather that we would have our righteousness in and through Him, not based on our works or adherence to rules. Ephesians 2:8-9 says:   ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹ not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 

Today as we continue in Matthew 5, in today's daily reading in the One Year Bible(link available on links page), we see this continuing theme that this fulfillment we participate in through Christ does not lower the standard of righteousness. We are actually called to a higher standard than Old Testament Law. Our text today ends with the words, Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Certainly perfection in this life is something that we can not hope to achieve, yet that's what Jesus calls us to.

Let's look at what Jesus says in today's text. This text contains one of the more controversial and divisive issues in the church today, the issue of divorce and remarriage. I have been divorced and I am married. God has blessed me and my marriage. Please understand that I would never minimalize the truth that scripture says God hates divorce. Malachi 2:16  For I hate divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, God hates divorce, as He does all sin and the sin of divorce carries many consequences that last beyond the forgiveness and new life we have in Christ.

As my wife and I have walked together with Christ, serving and ministering in His truth and love since 1987, I can't even begin to guess how often we have been challenged by well meaning believers with verses 31 and 32 from today's text.  “It was said, ‘Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce’; ³² but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.  Again, I would never minimalize or marginalize the truth that divorce is opposed to God's perfect will for us. This scripture along with others make that clear. The first thing I would say, not in my defense, but rather as a caution to those who hold divorced people to the letter of these verses, is something we talked about yesterday.

Matthew 7:1-3 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. ² For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. ³ Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 

Before you hold anyone to verses 31 and 32, you should make sure you have judged yourself according to verses 27 and 28.

 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; ²⁸ but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 

Jesus calls us to a higher standard.

As for myself, and any of you who have also been through divorce and remarriage, I simply say this. I believe in the power of the cross and the blood of Jesus Christ my Savior and Redeemer. Jesus says in Luke 5:32  I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

1 Peter 3:18 says, For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 

The power of the cross and the blood of Jesus was enough, once for all, my sin and your sin.

I also am thankful for the genealogy of Jesus which we looked at in Matthew 1, Where we see that God included sinners, including David a murderer and adulterer in the human line of Christ. I believe that speaks to the power of Christ to redeem. He is the fulfillment of the law. In Him there is redemption from sin, even mine and yours. 

As these verses both yesterday and today have indicated, Jesus calls us to a high standard. We are called to live above and beyond the requirements of Old Testament Law. History tells us that man was unable to fulfill the law's requirements. That's why Christ came. He came to fulfill what man could not. In Him we are righteous. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Our text today says : Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

 Galatians 5:1 says, It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.     In Christ, the fulfillment of the law, we are free. We are not free to sin, but rather free from sin.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

New, perfected in Christ, the fulfillment of the law.

Thank You Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus my Redeemer and Savior and Holy Spirit that in You I have been made perfect in Your sight.  Amen