Matthew 5:20

Monday, 25 November 2024

 

For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:20

 

“For I say to you, that if not it might excel – your righteousness – above the scribes and Pharisees, no – not – should you enter into the kingdom of the heavens” (CG).

 

In the previous verse, Jesus noted that the person who would break one of the commandments of the law, even the least of them, and he was to teach men the same, he would be called least in the kingdom of the heavens, but for the one who should keep and also teach, such a person would be called great in the kingdom of the heavens. Now, to make a point about the necessary nature of this point, He continues with, “For I say to you, that if not it might excel – your righteousness – above the scribes and Pharisees.”

 

The words of Jesus bring in the obvious truth that the scribes and the Pharisees were considered examples of the epitome of righteousness by the people. If this were not the case, there would be no reason to make such a comparison.

 

As this is the case, and as He says to His disciples that their righteousness must excel that of the scribes and Pharisees, He is noting that the righteousness of these two groups was not sufficient to obtain what He will next state. Having set those boundaries by His introductory words, He next completes the thought saying emphatically, “no – not – should you enter into the kingdom of the heavens.”

 

To clearly understand the meaning, Jesus has just said that unless the righteousness of His hearers was greater than that of the scribes and Pharisees, they would certainly not enter into the kingdom of the heavens. Therefore, by default, the scribes and Pharisees were not righteous enough to enter.

 

The very people who were considered the greatest examples of righteousness by the masses lacked the righteousness necessary to obtain what God promised. As noted in the previous commentary, Paul had said that concerning the righteousness which is in the law, he was blameless. Just prior to saying that, in Philippians 3:5, he stated that he was a Pharisee.

 

Therefore, the point that Jesus is making is that Paul, a Pharisee who was blameless before the law concerning righteousness, could not enter into the kingdom of the heavens. The reason why is found in their own writings. In Habakkuk 2:4, it says –

 

“Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by his faith.” 

 

The Hebrew word tsaddiq is used, translated as just. The just, meaning the righteous (the word carries both connotations), are those who live by faith. To trust in one’s own merit through law observance, which is what the scribes and Pharisees did, was to nullify faith. But the Lord, through Habakkuk, said that faith is what justifies a man. Paul explains this in Romans 1 –

 

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’” Romans 1:16, 17

 

He also provides an explanation in Galatians 3 –

 

“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.’ 11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ‘the just shall live by faith.’ 12 Yet the law is not of faith, but ‘the man who does them shall live by them.’
13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Galatians 3:10-14

 

Paul clearly saw that the law only brought condemnation. Leviticus 18:5 says that the man who does the things of the law (meaning perfect obedience to the law) would live. But every person who ever lived under the law died. No person lived because of the law. Rather, they died under the law. Only Christ fulfilled the law, proving it through His resurrection and signifying that His death was in fulfillment of it.

 

Therefore, only by faith in the completed work of Jesus can a man possess the righteousness that exceeds the most meticulously faithful observers of the law, such as Paul the Pharisee was. It perfectly explains Paul’s claim to boast only in the cross of Jesus –

 

“But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.” Galatians 6:14, 15

 

Circumcision, the benchmark and standard used by Paul for law observance, means nothing. As such, law observance means nothing. Only by faith in what Jesus did can we have the righteousness that allows us entrance into the kingdom of the heavens.

 

Life application: If one takes Jesus’ words as recorded in Matthew and applies them to his walk before the Lord, attempting to obtain a righteousness before the law that is greater than the scribes and the Pharisees, he is wasting his time.

 

But this is what so many do. They are duped by Judaizers and Hebrew Roots teachers who claim people must adhere to the Law of Moses in order to be saved. It is a self-condemning theology.

 

If you are truly interested in being saved, it is time for you to give up your arrogant attempts at meriting God’s favor through your own deeds and to simply trust – by faith alone – in the full, final, finished, and forever work of Jesus. Nothing else will do.

 

Lord God Almighty, You have done everything necessary to bring us back to You, justified and holy, through the giving of Jesus Christ our Lord for our sins. We trust that what He has done is sufficient to save us and to continue to save us until the day You come for Your people. Thank You, O God, for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.