Increased Righteousness

Scripture/Bible:For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 21 "You have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.' 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison; 26 truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny. Mt. 5:20-26

Reflection:  We look up to people in power and high offices and think that they are better than us and it could be true in many an instance.

When it comes to priests we surely think the best of them and more so when they rise up the ladder of hierarchy.  

The Scribes and the Pharisees whom we may look down upon on account of the exposure of Jesus were in reality looked up to by the masses in their days.  It is the presence of the light of Christ that exposes them and the naked truth beyond their hypocrisy. 

Imagine Jesus in our times saying similar things; “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Bishops, Priests and religious, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

A statement like that could shock many of us and we may wonder who then can be saved, more so since them whom we thought to be perfect or far better than ourselves are on the road to perdition. 

There could be various types of righteousness;  The righteousness that comes from the Law, the one that comes from the sacred office, the one that comes from the cloth or the external paraphernalia’s, or from one of those charismatic gifts, or the through the healing received or through some of the fruit of the spirit. 

None of these righteousness’s can be of help to enter the kingdom as they in themselves are not enough to enter the kingdom of God.  Our righteousness has to exceed all these, it has to be the righteousness that comes through Jesus.

     

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction. Rom 3:21-22

Prayer: “Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of my enemies; make thy way straight before me.”  Ps 5:8

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