Biblical Landmarks

HOW TO EXCEED THE PHARISEES

The words of Jesus create problems for many people. The reason? They don’t like them.

Consider this from Matt.12: 36-37: “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Everyone hopes that these words are somehow and somewhere modified elsewhere in Scripture. Justified by our words? No way. We’ll never make it, that’s for sure. Yet the words of Jesus are there to deal with.

Now consider this passage earlier in the book of Matthew: “For I say unto you that unless your righteousness exceeds he righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”

For many, that sounds like a great dose of legalism.

There are, however, two possible explanations of this verse. The general one is that our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees because we have the imputed righteousness of Christ. This exceeds everyone, and gives everyone a perfect score. That may be true, but it it is not what the text is telling us.

The other explanation is this one: that the words, spoken by our Lord, actually mean what they say. The requirement here is that we get our lives in order. That we stop living the lives we have been living and get our act together. If you beat your wife, stop it. If you’re a thief, stop it. If you’re an adulterer, stop it.

In order to choose the right answer, it will be necessary to look at the context of Jesus’ words and come to a conclusion. And the challenge is this: Jesus no where let’s anyone off the hook for righteous living by saying “It’s OK folks; you have my righteousness to count on your behalf.”

Rather, what He does say throughout the whole of the sermon on the Mount is that righteous living according to the law of God is the right way to do things. And if we do that, then we will exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees who perverted the law, misinterpreted the law, and made rules and regulations that allowed them to get around what God intended. As Jesus said (Matt. 23:23), “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.”

Notice the way Jesus addresses the issue. The scribes and Pharisees were actually keeping the law — but only the part that suited them. They were selective law-keepers.

Imagine reversing the situation and ask this question: Would it be OK to practice justice, mercy and faith but neglect tithing? This choice, however, is cut off at the pass by the words of Jesus. Justice, mercy and faith. Do these things along with your tithing.

Keeping the whole law, then, is the way to exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees that so troubled Jesus.

Have a great week. God bless you.