Unless Your Righteousness Exceeds...

 We turn our attention to the Lord's first recorded sermon in Matthew's gospel, and look at another tidbit of the Lord's discourse. Having emphasized the importance of keeping the law of God, Jesus then said to the people, "...unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:20)

As I attempt to place myself in the crowd of listeners on that occasion, this statement is perhaps among the most alarming and distressing. Jesus has just indicated to the people that if they desire to enter God's kingdom, they must be more righteous than their own religious leaders. The thought may have crossed the mind of some, ‘Then how can any enter in?'

Over the next three years, Jesus would reveal the trouble with the scribes and the Pharisees. In Matthew 23:2-3, the people heard Him say, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do." The Lord continued to tell of their desire to be seen by men (Matthew 23: 5-7, “But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,) their bloated ego (Matthew 23: 7-10, “And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi, But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.”)  Turning His attention to the religious leaders, Jesus referred to them as "hypocrites", citing a variety of reasons, no less than seven times “Woe unto you ye Scribes and Pharisees…”(Matthew 23:13, 14, 15, 23, 25, 27, 29). In that same light, He referred to them as blind guides or fools five times (Matt 23: 16, 17, 19, 24, 26). The Lord made it known to the people that their religious leaders were hypocritical blind fools, not to be followed, lest you fall in the ditch with them.

How might one exceed their righteousness?
1) Observe and keep the commandments of God. (Matthew 19:17 – “..but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.”)
2) Do your good works in secret. (Matthew 6:1-4 – “ Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.”)

3) Pray to God from the heart. (Matthew 6:5-8 – “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”)
4) Don't major in minors and minor in majors. (Matthew 23:23-24 – “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.”)
5) Don't be two-faced. (Matthew 23: 28 – “Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.”)