Righteousness exceeding Scribes and Pharisees

[JohnL]

In Matthew 5:20 Jesus said

20 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.

What were the main characteristics of righteousness expressed by the Scribes and Pharisees?

How are we expected to “exceed” their “righteousness”?

[danfreed]

Very interesting statement by Jesus in Matthew 5:20...

Question 1 "What were the main characteristics of righteousness expressed by the Scribes and Pharisees?"

self righteousness and despising others

Jesus parable in Luke 18 describes the Pharisee whose prayer (and attitude) was rejected, and the tax collector - whose prayer and repentance was accepted by God....

Luke 18:9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

[danfreed]

In Matthew 5:20 Jesus said

20 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.

How are we expected to “exceed” their “righteousness”?

This is my answer to question 2 ....

By trusting 100% in the righteousness of Jesus Christ - His death and resurrection
This means that I no longer depend on my own righteousness; and (by God's grace) I start loving others, rather than despising them.


Romans 3:22-26
This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

[Heirbyadoption]

In Matthew 5:20 Jesus said

20 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.

How are we expected to “exceed” their “righteousness”?

This is my answer to question 2 ....

By trusting 100% in the righteousness of Jesus Christ - His death and resurrection
This means that I no longer depend on my own righteousness; and (by God's grace) I start loving others, rather than despising them.


Romans 3:22-26
This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Any thoughts on the actual answer to Question #1? Or was Jesus really just being facetious about them actually having/engaging/doing some level of actual righteousness?

[R7ehr]

I think they did have some genuine righteousness. It simply fell far short, and/or was misdirected.

[Neto]

Doing it from the heart. Following the principles that lie behind all of the Law.

[MattY]

In Matthew 5:20 Jesus said

20 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.

What were the main characteristics of righteousness expressed by the Scribes and Pharisees?

How are we expected to “exceed” their “righteousness”?

1. The righteousness that comes from living by the law - i.e., moralism:

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

2. By knowing Christ - the righteousness that comes by faith in Him:

7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

[Soloist]

Doing it from the heart. Following the principles that lie behind all of the Law.

Wife: my personal take is the Pharisees were good at the outward form, but not at the principles. It’s easy not to murder someone, and not too hard to not physically commit adultery, but hating someone, disparaging someone, or looking at a member of the opposite gender with lust is what He was targeting in His sermon on the mount. The Pharisees tended to focus on looking good rather than anything that couldn’t be seen.

[Bootstrap]

Doing it from the heart. Following the principles that lie behind all of the Law.

Wife: my personal take is the Pharisees were good at the outward form, but not at the principles. It’s easy not to murder someone, and not too hard to not physically commit adultery, but hating someone, disparaging someone, or looking at a member of the opposite gender with lust is what He was targeting in His sermon on the mount. The Pharisees tended to focus on looking good rather than anything that couldn’t be seen.

That fits the context nicely - this is said in an introduction to the section that discusses those other things.

I think this is also relevant:

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

Justice, mercy, and faithfulness are central, so is real love for your neighbor. And I think the biblical meaning of justice is what matters here.

[barnhart]

In Matthew 5:20 Jesus said

20 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.

What were the main characteristics of righteousness expressed by the Scribes and Pharisees?

How are we expected to “exceed” their “righteousness”?

From the perspective of covenant theology being righteous, or right with God is to be in the group that belongs to him. In the age of the patriarchs it was a tribal group, in the age of the kingdom of Israel it national and now it means being a part of the kingdom/family of God who are called out of the world, the church.