Re:Verse passage – Matthew 5:17-32(day five) “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.“
The ticket for admission into the Kingdom of Heaven now includes a righteousness greater than the Scribes and Pharisees. Wait? What?!! Their righteousness must somehow be better than the professional rule writers and keepers. How could this be possible. Is Jesus trying to rewrite or undo the Law in order for them to have access to the Kingdom? Well, according to Jesus Himself, absolutely not. Then how can the righteousness of His disciples be greater? Jesus enlarges the focus of obedience from strictly external to also include internal. It is greater because it is deeper, moving from just behavior to also mind and motive- a “heart righteousness”. The prophets wrote and signaled this truth long before. “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it;“ Jeremiah 31:33 ”I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes,“ Ezekiel 36:27
With God’s work and wisdom (His Spirit in us) we now have access and opportunity for the greater righteousness that Jesus teaches.
