Matthew 5:20

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Matthew 5:20
The scribes were the most renowned teachers of the Law. They not only copied the law, but, as Ezra, had the primary function of expounding on the scriptures. They were also referred to as “doctors of the law.” The Pharisees were generally held in high esteem by the people as those who had attained to the highest standards of spirituality. The scribes and Pharisees put far more stress on the parts of the law that were more visible and obvious than on inner qualities that would fulfill the spirit of the moral requirements. It is evident by the later statements of Jesus that the Pharisees did not have the motive of keeping the Law in order to please God. Instead, their primary concern was the esteem they received from the people by their appearance of spirituality.Imagine the shock when the people heard Jesus say that their righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees. But the statement was not only central to their salvation but for ours as well. Service to God cannot be viewed as filling out a tax return. When we report our income and pay our taxes we try to find every legal way of paying as little as possible. We are not concerned with pleasing the IRS, we are concerned with how we can legally escape paying too much. God will not tolerate such service. The moment a person asks how much he must do in order to inherit eternal life, he has missed the whole point. The greatest commandment, to love God with all one’s heart, soul, mind, and strength, precludes any question of how much is enough to satisfy God.

Christians have typically placed far too much emphasis on visible acts of service to God. If one regularly goes to church, he sees himself as faithful and others will commend him. But what about the thoughts and intents of the heart? What about the failures of one’s inner character - failures in the areas of love, patience, and mercy? These, as Jesus said, are the weightier matters of the law (Mt. 23:23). We may fool men, but we are not fooling God when our motives are to make sure men recognize us as righteous instead of being diligent to be certain that God is pleased with us. Jesus later said concerning the Pharisees, “They say and do not” (Mt. 23:3). In the kingdom, there must be a righteousness that exceeds such hypocrisy.
Berry Kercheville