OTKC 12: Be Perfect, Like Your Heavenly Father

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.  Matthew 5:48 (ESVUK)

Listeners to Jesus’ teaching on the mount at the time and now should be amazed. The outline of what the blessed person is would have been breathtaking. The call to return to God’s standards in dealing with anger, lust, divorce and retaliation got rid of any clothing of legality when following God’s commands. The matter of enemy love as a command in itself would have raised the levels even higher as to what God expects from those who live under His rule.

Then, when the standards couldn’t be raised any higher, listeners understand that enemy love reflects the standard of love God expects, and it’s summed up in this remarkable command: be perfect. That sounds unreasonable to modern hearers because of the idea that crops up when thinking about what it is to be perfect. And even when that is defined, it might sound a lot. And it should sound like a lot. But keen hearers of what Jesus says in this teaching will understand that the requirements are reasonable and achievable when understood.

Be Perfect

In establishing the importance of enemy love, Jesus points out that loving those who love you is unremarkable. It’s the kind of thing that even the worst in society can manage. Life in the Kingdom of God requires those who live in it to reflect the King. That King has no problem sending sunshine and rain to the just and the unjust. That love is perfect – it’s perfect love. It’s complete love – as it’s love that is based on the will of the giver rather than the performance of the recipient. Behaving in that way sees love as complete.

Thus, when the command comes to be perfect, it’s a command to operate by complete love. A love that will operate more because of who the giver is than anything else to do with the recipient. That complete love and thus the complete way of operating is not about hyper-meticulous approach to getting things “right” all the time and agonising over decisions in case it’s just an inch away from the ideal. That’s not the perfection being referred to here.

When things are complete the running is smooth. That completion is only possible when there’s a realisation of how living by God’s commands work.

As Your Heavenly Father is Perfect

The heart of God’s commands is to base everything on Him. Notice as well, Jesus’ command is based on relationship. Those who are born of God can operate like their Father. That makes sense. From creation everything that can be seen came from a source that explains what has been produced. Apple trees usually come from apple seeds that came from apples produced from an apple tree. In the same way, those who come from the Father, have the Father’s qualities and characteristics in them and so produce that which completely reflects the Father.

Those paying attention to the teaching from the start saw that the blessed person is humble in the presence of the holy God and mourns of that which blocks them from Him. And in that light they submit themselves to Him to develop a hunger and desire to be like Him exercising mercy from a pure heart in pursuit of the peace that marks them as sons of God. Having that definition as a son of God means that by the time Jesus makes the command to be perfect, the reassurance comes in that that the perfection is reflecting the Father – the complete character is like the Father and is possible because of the Father.

Be Like The Father, See the Son, Receive His Spirit

Jesus issues the command and as we saw in the previous post, He set the example. He sets the example by a vision focused on pleasing the Father – being harmonious with the Father’s will and so showing the way to others to see what it is to only want to please the Father and be led and filled by the Spirit to accomplish what was set.

To be a son of God and operate in the perfect that God looks for, we appreciate the example of the Son and are grateful for the gift of the Holy Spirit to live in us, operate through us and guide us in doing and being everything pleasing to God. That way, these commands that appear challenging and overwhelming are reasonable because they’re not based on our efforts, not based on being overanalytical

This command would remain crushingly impossible without two divine provisions: Christ’s example and the Spirit’s empowerment.

Jesus, “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15), perfectly revealed the Father’s character. He demonstrated what perfection looks like by loving enemies, blessing persecutors, and ultimately praying for those who crucified Him (Luke 23:34). His life provides the pattern-not just in dying for us but in living before us.

When confronted by hatred, Jesus responded with compassion. When tempted with retaliation, He chose redemption. “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate” (1 Peter 2:23). His perfection wasn’t passive withdrawal but active love in the face of hostility.

Yet Jesus’ example alone would leave us inspired but defeated. That’s why He promised the Holy Spirit-the divine Helper who produces the fruit of godly character within us (Galatians 5:22-23). Paul assures us that “God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit” (Romans 5:5), enabling us to love as the Father loves.

This Spirit-empowered transformation is progressive: “We all… are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18). The perfection Jesus commands is God’s work in us-“for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13).

Practical Steps for Being Perfect

• Immerse yourself in God’s character: Study how God reveals Himself in Scripture. The Psalms particularly showcase His perfect blend of justice and mercy, holiness and compassion. As we behold Him, we become like Him (2 Corinthians 3:18).
• Practice indiscriminate love: Identify those you naturally avoid or resent and intentionally pray for their blessing. Jesus specifically mentions prayer as a pathway to perfection (Matthew 5:44-45).
• Embrace the second mile: Move beyond minimum requirements in your relationships. When someone asks for your time, attention, or resources, give more than expected. This reveals a heart freed from self-protection (Matthew 5:41).
• Seek the Spirit’s filling daily: Paul instructs, “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18), suggesting ongoing dependence. Begin each day by surrendering your natural reactions and requesting divine love for difficult people.
• Practice self-examination: Ask regularly, “Where am I still conforming to worldly patterns of retaliation, favouritism, or conditional love?” The psalmist prayed, “Search me, God, and know my heart” (Psalm 139:23).
• Join a community pursuing perfection: Surround yourself with believers committed to Christ-likeness. “Iron sharpens iron” (Proverbs 27:17), and we need others to both challenge and encourage our growth..

Following the commands that Jesus utters is not about striving in your own strength to avoid punishment or to gain approval. Following the commands of Jesus is about understanding the heart of the Father as seen in the Son and made possible by His Spirit. It’s a family affair and about children growing to be like their Father, and the heart of that is the command to be perfect as the Father is.

For His Name’s Sake

C. L. J. Dryden

Shalom

Questions for Reflection

• What aspect of the Father’s love will you focus on to help you be like Him?
• What role does the Holy Spirit play in expressing the perfection God requires?
• What can you do this week to encourage others to be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect?