Summer Reflection 2- Surpassing Righteousness

(Matthew 5:20-26)

Matthew 5:20 “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.

²¹ “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ ²² “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever shall say to his brother, idiot,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever shall say, ‘You worthless fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.

 ²³ “If therefore you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your offering there before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.

 ²⁵ “Make friends quickly with your creditor while you are with him on the way to court, in order that your creditor may not deliver you to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. ²⁶ “Truly I say to you, you shall not come out of there, until you have paid up the last cent.

Introduction

This morning I want to continue our Summer Reflections by looking at Matthew chapter 5 and the notion of true/surpassing righteousness. That is, I want to know what it is, how we get it, and what it looks like in real life when we actually have it.

Verse 20

Notice at once Jesus’ startling words. Jesus tells us that unless our righteousness surpasses that of the Scribes and Pharisees, we will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Importance: remember the Scribes and Pharisees sought to obey God in every facit of life, down to its minutiae (they had even determined how far you could walk on a Sabbath day and still be godly). Notice then the arresting impact of Jesus’s statement: how in the world can we out righteous the Pharisees? Now living for God in every aspect of life is a really good thing. However, the problem is that the Scribes and Pharisees had reduced every aspect of life to an outward code that missed the very heart of faith. And that’s the point. The righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees was a self-derived righteousness based on self-effort. It was rigid, rigorous, and austere. However, it left the heart of man (the problem) untouched/unchanged. By contrast, the righteousness that God requires far exceeds anything that man can achieve. Instead, it is a comprehensive grace-based change that comes only when we turn to God to forgive and heal us. Notice the result: at once Jesus has us standing before the throne of grace for a renewal that only He can give.

Verse 21-22

Next, notice that the remainder of our passage provides a picture of what surpassing righteousness looks like. Notice then, Jesus begins by comparing and contrasting the outward code that the Pharisees’ self-righteousness had reduced God’s Law to be with the true change of heart that God always intended. Notice then Jesus says that everyone who is angry with his brother is guilty before the court (i.e. found unrighteous). Importance: first we need to get our terms straight. Notice then, Jesus is not saying that if you ever get upset with someone you are guilty and doomed (Paul tells us to be angry but in the right way Eph 4:26. Scripture tells us that God becomes angry Heb 3:10). In other words, Jesus is not talking about a righteous anger that seeks to correct, heal, and recover. Instead, what Jesus is talking about is an anger that bears ill-will towards the other and thus wishes them harm not healing. Not only that (and this is important), the anger that Jesus is talking about here is an oblivious anger. That is, it is an anger that has conveniently forgotten its own weaknesses and faults. In fact, a true mark of self-righteousness is that it is always indignant towards the sins of others while blind to its own sins.  

Next, notice the progression: Jesus says that if you call your brother “idiot” you are guilty before the supreme court. Why? Is it because “idiot” is a really bad word? No. Instead, verse 22 shows us a digression of the heart. Notice then by this point in the passage we have moved past buried resentment and have begun to outwardly articulate it. In other words, our self-righteous anger is beginning to shape our demeanor and interaction with the other person. Next, Jesus says if you call someone a “worthless fool” you shall be guilty enough to go to hell. Again, the issue here is not the words, it’s the heart. Notice then by this point we have completely defined our entire assessment of the person based on one deed/fault/ tendency. In turn, we have completely dismissed the value and worth of that person on that single solitary ground. As such, we no longer see or treat them as an image bearer of God, who God loves and came to redeem. Instead, they are absolutely worthless in our eyes. The result is, that God’s call to repentance and forgiveness has been replaced with our own declaration that they are not worth God’s time to redeem. Therefore, they are clearly not worth our time, effort, or compassion.  

Notice then the picture of true righteousness that begins to emerge from the contrast: Instead, of an outward self-righteousness that is blind to its own weakness and flaws, true righteousness begins by turning our heart to God for a forgiveness and healing that we all desperately need. Then, and only then, it turns our heart to the other in order (not to condone/excuse but) to offer that same mercy and restorative correction that we all have needed and received.

Verse 23-26

Finally, Jesus gives us two pictures of true righteousness in action (the 2^nd is covered in the footnote). That is, Jesus gives us two examples of what true righteousness looks like in real life. Not only that, notice in both pictures you are the guilty party (someone has something against you; and you are in default). Importance: repentance and an awareness of our own need for mercy is the essential posture/disposition of true righteousness. Notice then the setting of the first picture is that of the peace offering. Importance: remember the peace offering was the celebration and thanksgiving that God had forgiven your sins and restored your relationship with Him. Notice then where we are in the picture: true righteousness has turned to God with its own sins and is now preparing to celebrate God’s mercy and healing. However, Jesus says that if in the course of sinning the sin for which you have just repented, you remember that you have wronged someone else by that sin (or even if they think you have) before you celebrate the restoration of your relationship with God, go make things right with your brother. Why? Restoration is what true grace and righteousness do. Think about it, as the grace that saves you begins to change you, you begin to seek the health (not the harm) of all your relationships ^FN#1.

Bottom line: surpassing righteousness does not negate the law or condone sin. Instead, surpassing righteousness seeks for others the very same mercy, healing, and restorative correction that it seeks for itself. Why? In both cases (be it the self or others), surpassing righteousness never forgets that the need for and the offer of God’s grace are exactly the same.

Footnote

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²⁵ “Make friends quickly with your creditor while you are with him on the way to court, in order that your creditor may not deliver you to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. ²⁶ “Truly I say to you, you shall not come out of there, until you have paid up the last cent.

The second picture Jesus provides builds the themes established in the first. Notice the second picture takes place on the way to debtors’ court. Not only that, notice that once again you are the guilty party. You have defaulted on your payments or have payed less than is required. As such, Jesus advises you to admit, amend (work out a payment plan) and seek mercy. Why? Again, repentance and an awareness of our own need for mercy is the right posture of true righteousness. However, notice the change in emphasis. In the first picture we are called to seek the healing of others (those we have hurt who have something against us). In the second picture we are reminded that realizing our own needs and sinfulness is to our own advantage. Notice then the warning Jesus gives: Jesus say that if you decide to ignore your own need for mercy and thus decide to bank on your own self-righteousness, then you will be made to pay your entire debt in full.

            One final point: notice that surpassing righteousness does not negate the law. That is, it does not excuse our mistreatment of others or lesson what God requires of our interaction with them. Instead, surpassing righteousness does not allow us to reduce the law to a superficial check list of outward actions. Instead, it requires us to acknowledge the depth of heart so commanded and described by the law. As such, surpassing righteousness views the law as the ongoing requirements of God as well as the ongoing promise that only God’s grace can provide. As such, the law exposes the heart of our inability and so turns to God and His grace to write this law upon our heart.