When Righteousness Falls Short
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will be no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20).
This must have come as a shock to many of His listeners. The Pharisees were zealous to keep even the minutest detail of the Law. The Apostle Paul states regarding his early years as a Pharisee that “concerning the righteousness which is in the law [he was] blameless” (Phil. 3:6).
I am certain many wondered how they could exceed the high standard of these ultra-religious Jews. But there were several fundamental problems with the righteousness of the Pharisees. It fell short in a number of ways that good-living, moral people fall short in even today.
- Their “righteousness” was based on self effort, rather than dependance on God (cf. Zech. 4:6; II Tim. 3:5).
- It became a matter of sinful pride (cf. Matt. 6:2, 5, 16).
- It prompted them to make unwise and unhealthy comparisons with others (cf. II Cor. 10:12).
- It involved a re-interpretation of the Law to accommodate their weakness and failings (Mk. 7:8-13).
- It led to play-acting (hypocrisy) to make themselves out to be better than they were (Matt. 23:14, 23, 27).
- It focused on adherence to an external code rather than on a personal relationship with the Lord (Matt. 15:8).
- It caused many of them to reject Christ because they were convicted by His true and perfect righteousness (Matt. 12:14, 24).