"For I say unto you, that except your righteousness
exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees,
you shall in no way enter into the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 5:20
These words come early in the Sermon on the Mount. They would have been
startling to that multitude of peasants struggling to survive, hoping for life.
How could they hope to surpass the righteousness of their teachers?
Their teachers said their relation to God depended upon their performance
and their knowledge. But Jesus gave what neither they or we can achieve--
the perfect doing of the father's will. He said he did not come to destroy the
law or the prophets, but to fulfill . He fulfilled the law by always doing
what was pleasing to the Father.
It is also startling that nearly 2000 years after Jesus died for our sins,
we try to provide our own righteousness, by relying on our performance of
a manageable list of things. Jesus made it clear to the multitude that day,
that to enter the kingdom of heaven, their righteousness must exceed
their teachers. Yet we are still tempted to trust in ourselves.
Jesus fulfilled the law in his body, and died in our place upon the cross,
"that we might become the righteousness of God in him." 2 Corinthians 5:21
Only thru union with Jesus does our righteousness exceed theirs.
"For you died, and your life is hid with Christ in God." Colossians 3:3
Paul warned, "You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by law;
you are fallen away from Christ." Galatians 5:4
Self-justification is fatal.
John 7:24 shows that our flesh tempts us to rely upon our appearance .
It is in our heart that we see our need for Jesus to always cover us.
We repeatedly re-discover the truth expressed in the old song,
"I need Thee every hour"
"For the law was given thru Moses; grace and truth came thru Jesus Christ."
John 1:17