Impossible perfection

Matthew 19:21 (Berean Study Bible)

If you want to be perfect.....

This dialogue between the rich ruler and the Lord Jesus highlights the futility of natural perfection. Christ wasn't trying to make the young ruler perfect but challenging him to be so. The Pharisees were guilty of this as well. They traveled the seas to win over a single convert while the law they expounded was always enslaving them. This quest for perfection apart from God had been the obsession of humankind since Adam and Eve who were tricked by the devil into thinking that they could somehow become like God by themselves while they only ended up dying. We see this quite prevalent in churches as well. Pastors are more concerned with making perfect Christians than faithful disciples. Our perfection is only in Christ and the Lord will not hesitate to leave a thorn in our flesh to keep us humble.