✠ Psalmody: Psalm 28:8-9; 1a; Psalm 90:13, 1; Psalm 47:1; Psalm 17:5, 6b–7a; Psalm 27:6b
✠ Lection: Exodus 20:1–17; Romans 6:3-11; Matthew 5:20-26
In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Lord Jesus says, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” He spoke these blessed words to His disciples as they had pressed upon Him when He gave the Sermon on the Mount. This is early in His ministry, showing that He still had much to teach, much to say, much to do before laying down His life for sinners. He was speaking to sinners. He was speaking to students of His holy word that had gathered about Him to hear it. And what did they hear? What do you hear in what Jesus says? His words are no sharp rebuke thrusted deep into the belly of a false god, although His truth does topple our idols. By His words, all people are to hear, especially those with ears to do so, that there is a righteousness to be had by those upon the earth and by those in heaven and that if it doesn’t exceed that of the scribes and the Pharisees, then we will by no means enter the eternal kingdom.
Righteousness. It’s one of those biblical terms that we’re pretty confident of its meaning, at least until someone asks us to define it. Such a request might lead us to mutter some unrighteous words as we furrow the brow, scratch the head, and wonder why some words are like that. Nevertheless, righteousness is something that God possesses, purely and entirely, and something that He requires of us as in the flesh He clearly says: “Unless you have this level of righteousness, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” Righteousness can be understood as the act of doing what is required; the act of doing what is right. God forever possesses righteousness Himself. He is the very fount of it, for all that He does is of His own right and holy character. And since He is The Standard, all people are measured according to the righteousness that He has revealed to us by His Holy Word.
When He spoke the Ten Commandments, indeed He was giving instruction in righteousness as well as a simple description of what it looks like here below in the midst of sinners whose minds and hearts have been clouded, have been distanced from the original righteousness that we had in the garden prior to the Fall. Such commandments, such words weren’t difficult tasks prior to man’s rebellion. They weren’t lofty ideals after which the whole life would be spent in pursuit of living in them once again. They describe life as God created it in His righteousness. They describe life that we now do wisely to pursue as zealous lovers of the Savior, not denying reality, but humbly accepting the accusation of God’s law because we know that there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Yet, the Law does its needed job when you consider your place in life according to the 10 Commandments. Are you a father, mother, son, daughter, husband, wife, or worker? Have you been disobedient, unfaithful, or lazy? Have you been hot-tempered, rude, or quarrelsome? Have you hurt someone by your words or deeds? Have you stolen, been negligent, wasted anything, or done any harm? Have you kept the basics of righteousness? Has your righteousness exceeded that of the scribes and the Pharisees?
We’re not to base our stance before God upon comparative righteousness, yet the Lord Jesus makes a comparison to bring us to a realization. Consider first the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, both dear lovers of God’s holy law and zealous pursuers of upholding it; zealous of doing what is required, of doing what is right. But this is where their understanding of the righteousness that God requires fell short. Their belief was based on good works, on the things that were done, as if the requirement rested solely on what is required to be done. By all means, the outward holiness of the Pharisees could not be exceeded by anyone in their day or in ours. Not even by us. Their dedication to doing what is right at all times and in all places ruled everything, even their demeanor toward other people, especially the ones obviously not as holy in their living as the Pharisees were. Behold our temptation. If their lives are the stellar standard of righteousness that all to are exceed who desire to enter the kingdom of heaven, then who can have any hope? No pastor, no pope, no theologian, no dedicated and faithful house father can rival the thoroughness in life of doing what is right and required that the scribes and the Pharisees accomplished. Yet, it is them that you must exceed, dear sinner, for that is explicitly what our compassionate Lord and Savior has said Himself.
The standard of which He speaks is actually even far more stringent than the lives these doers were able to accomplish, because the righteousness that God requires, that He desires, is not mere outward sign and work. Good works are a must, truly, but from whence must they come? Not from a begrudging, grumbling heart. Not from a detestable spirit within, but from a pure heart that loves God and loves neighbor perfectly. When we separate the outward work from the condition of the heart, this is where we give ourselves enough wiggle room, enough space to become Pharisees, to convince ourselves that we keep God’s law by outward action alone. Most of us under this roof are decent people, meaning that a hefty portion of the 10 Commandments we uphold in how we act, in what we do. We’re not prone to take someone else’s life at random or planned, to steal from the offering plate as it goes by, to cheat on our spouses, or to be known to take the Lord’s Name in vain even when we’re angry; Outward signs, like the Pharisees. But the Lord requires more and He did so long before Christ said these words. In Leviticus 19, the Lord says, “‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.” The righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees is one that reaches beyond outward marks all the way down to the heart. That’s God’s standard. That’s God’s measure. Once a sinner grasps this truth, demanded of us by the King of Glory, then the penetrating strike of the Law goes heart-deep and we are left with no where to hide. Oh, how dreadful our situation…without Christ!
Which makes the epistle pairing with this Gospel text so comforting, so sweet, so glorious. To be in God’s eternal holy presence, to enter the kingdom of heaven, requires a righteousness that any honest person sees to be unobtainable, simply by the witness of our own dark hearts against us. We know what goes on behind the scenes when face, voice, and hand doing good do not match what is in the heart. We are the ones who know our secret thoughts. We are the ones who know that no matter how close we might ever get to doing well throughout a day, that the wileful heart was there all along to defile every effort. And God knows all this in full detail. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord, because of the Baptism that He received and the one that He gave. Christ’s heart, His life, His doings, His all, is perfect righteousness. How then is His to be yours? By His good grace and favor! By His Holy Baptism by which our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin nor of the unrighteousness into which it entangles us.
Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Christ’s righteousness, now yours by His free gift in Holy Baptism, is sufficient to wash even your heart in the glory of heavenly regeneration by the Holy Spirit, so that this very day you stand before God Almighty in the righteousness of Christ; in a righteousness that far exceeds that of mere outward doings; a righteousness that not only serves as a credit before God but one that continuously works in you here to wage the glorious battle against the unrighteous heart that daily needs to be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires. The Law is good and its goodness condemns our heart’s lack, but for Christ. For it is by His shed blood and sacrifice that all your sin is washed away and the robe of His righteousness is put upon you, so that, by His means, to His glory, you enter the kingdom of heaven. All glory, honor, and praise be to this Righteous One!
In ✠ Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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