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Jesus gives specific content to the meaning of “good deeds” (5:16) throughout 5:17-7:12. He begins at the most fundamental point: good works as the fulfilling of the will of God as God’s will is reflected in the law.
This passage contains two sections: general declarations (5:17-20) followed by examples from specific OT commandments (vv.21-48). Jesus makes two points in 5:17-20. First, far from “abolishing” the law, Jesus has come to fulfill the law. He has come to fill the commandments up with meaning by revealing the will of God that stands behind the letter of the OT commandments. Second, disciples must assume a righteousness that surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. Such a surpassing righteousness is necessary for participation in the kingdom.
Jesus spells out the character of this surpassing righteousness in the six examples he gives in 5:21-48. In each case Jesus contrasts the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees (who understood the letter of the OT commandment as a mechanical legal requirement) with the exceeding righteousness that he demands. Jesus shows that God requires obedience from the heart and especially an obedience that stems from (1) recognition of the holiness of God (vv.33-37) and (2) love toward all persons.
The principle of love stands behind all of Jesus' statements in 5:21-48. Hence the love command forms the climax to this segment (vv.43-48). The entire law is summed up in the command to love (cf. 22:37-40).
It is within this context that Jesus speaks of perfection (5:48). Disciples must be perfect (complete, entire) in their love. This means that they are to love not only those who love them, but also those who hate them and persecute them. When disciples do this, they share the perfection of God’s love; for God is perfect in that he actively shows love toward all persons, doing good to both the righteous and the wicked (v.45).
This is the Christian perfection of which Wesley spoke, a perfection of love. Wesley was right when he declared that, humanly speaking, such perfection is impossible. But Wesley was also in line with the thinking of this gospel when he argued that nothing is impossible with God and that God graciously gives to his people the power to fulfill this command (cf. 1:21-23; 5:17-20).