This article is based on the first draft of a sermon I wrote and preached for recent Hermeneutics and Homiletics class.

“You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48; all Scripture quotations are from the English Standard Version).

Hi, my name’s Mike, and I’m a perfectionist.

Some of you might be used to an introduction like that when speaking at meetings to overcome life-controlling issues like alcoholism or other addictions. You have essentially come face-to-face with a demon who seeks to destroy you. Perfectionism is similar. Although it may differ in some ways, it can still be deadly. Anxiety, fear of failure, procrastination, or guilt can eat away at your emotions, your will, perhaps even your physical health. I grew up convinced that parental love and acceptance were based on my not screwing up. When I became a follower of Jesus, I took that worldview into my relationship with God: “I sinned; I made a mistake. God must not love me anymore. I have to earn His love back.”

Matthew 5:48 seemed to reaffirm that idea. “You have to be perfect. See: Jesus said so!” With that in mind, we can respond to Matthew 5:48 in one of three ways. First, we can say, “God must be mad at me because I’m not perfect.” Second, we might say, “Well, nobody’s perfect and Jesus knows that. He did not mean that. Maybe He did not really say it. Just ignore this verse.” I believe we should consider the third option: “Maybe I’ve misunderstood what Jesus meant here. What is He really telling us?”

Jesus’ kind of perfection is not impossible; it is a realistic goal that is worth pursuing. It does not mean “never makes a mistake” or “absolutely flawless.” There are many instances where we can use the word “perfect” and still acknowledge that mistakes were made.

In baseball, if a pitcher plays the entire game and none of the opposing players get on base safely—no runs, no hits, no errors, no walks, no wild pitches—we say the pitcher threw a “perfect game.” He might have made some mistakes during the game. He might have gotten to a 3-and-0 count against a few batters. Some of them might have made really good contact with the ball, and the only reason they did not get on base was because of an almost superhuman catch by one of the pitcher’s teammates. Still, it’s a perfect game, even if there were mistakes.

It’s a little like that with the word for “perfect” in our reading. The “perfect Christian” does not have perfect performance; he walks on a perfect path, seeking a perfect purpose while following the only Perfect Person. The Greek word for “perfect” appears only twice in Matthew’s Gospel: here and in the story of the rich young ruler. When he asked Jesus what good deed he must do to obtain everlasting life, Jesus told him: “Keep the commandments.” He said, “I did that already. What am I missing?”

“Jesus said to him,‘If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me’” (Matthew 19:21).

St. Paul often uses this word in his letters. Jesus would use a verb form of the same word on the cross. John 19:30 tells us that Jesus’ last statement on the cross was “It is finished.”

We miss the connection in English, but it is essentially the same word, just a verb form of the adjective: “I’m done! It’s finished! Mission accomplished! My work is complete! I have done exactly what I came to do.”

That is what Jesus is telling us. Not, “You had better be absolutely flawless,” but instead, “I want to make you complete.”

This relates to some of the things Jesus had said earlier in the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:17, He said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Then, in verse 20, He said, “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of God.”

Verse 20 introduces the teachings that follow: the righteousness of the religious leaders stems from a—sometimes shallow—reading of the letter of the Law; Jesus calls us to a fuller obedience by calling us to have the proper heart attitude. “You must therefore be perfect,” concludes that part of the sermon.

I would suggest that when Jesus told the rich young ruler how he could become perfect, the main part of that was, “Come, follow Me.” He needed to sell his possessions and give the money to the poor so that he had no obstacles to following Jesus. We surrender these things so that we can walk with Him. We repent so that we have no obstacles to following Jesus.

Jesus had shown us how to be “perfect.”

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’” (Matthew 5:38). The Torah had set limits on how much revenge you could seek. Jesus took it further; don’t seek revenge. “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19). Instead, our job is to actively show others the mercy, grace, and forgiveness of Jesus.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy’” (Matthew 5:43). Jesus is quoting Leviticus 19:18, which says “Love your neighbor.” It does not say “Hate your enemy.” The path of perfection leads us to love and care for all people: not just the ones who are easy to love, but especially those we really have to try to like!

Finally, we should see “perfection” as a target or journey, not a destination. St. Paul writes:

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you” (Philippians 3:12-15).

Keep pressing on to follow Jesus. Martin Luther said, “We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it, the process is not yet finished, but it is going on, this is not the end, but it is the road.”

Stay on the road. Follow Jesus. Let others see Jesus through your words and actions. When you fail, admit it, accept His forgiveness, learn from your mistakes, and keep walking. Don’t give up.

Does perfectionism create challenges in your life? Share your thoughts in the comments field below.

Copyright © 2026 Michael E. Lynch. All rights reserved.