“For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20, ESV).

How many commandments can you break at one time with one sin? We might remember King David’s unholy incident with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11–12). In that one nefarious episode, David coveted another man’s wife (Tenth Commandment), committed adultery (Sixth Commandment), committed murder (Fifth Commandment), and even besmirched Uriah’s reputation (Eighth Commandment). Most of all, David failed to trust God and despised His Word (First and Third Commandments).

How many commandments might you break at one time with one sin-filled episode? We do well to remember James 2:10 (ESV): “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”

Jesus gives all of us a wake-up call when He says: “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” He also says: “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt. 5:20, 48, ESV).

We might convince ourselves that, somehow, we can actually climb the ladder of Commandment-keeping and so enter God’s rule and reign. But Jesus is not laying down the gauntlet or outlining a challenge to be accepted with bravado. Rather, He is putting up a brick wall knowing full well that we will crash into it at full speed.

Jesus speaks of exceeding righteousness and being perfect so that we will despair of ourselves. His ultimate goal is to draw us to Himself. He did not come to “abolish the Law or the Prophets”; He came “to fulfill them” (Matt. 5:17, ESV)—for us and for our salvation. When He came into this fallen world, taking on our flesh and walking in our shoes, He kept every iota and dot of God’s Law. His righteousness truly does exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees. When Jesus hung lifeless on the cross and then rose again on the third day, the Law and the Prophets were fulfilled.

This changes everything! “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21, ESV). Christ’s perfect righteousness is His gift freely given to you through faith. Now your righteousness does exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees. Now you are perfect even as your Father is perfect. Now you may live as God has created and redeemed you to live.

Prayer:
“We thank You, Christ; new life is ours,
New light, new hope, new strength, new pow’rs.
This grace our ev’ry way attend
Until we reach our journey’s end” (LSB 562:6).

In Christ’s service,

Rev. Randy K. Asburry
Second Vice President
Missouri District