Bias is normal. We all have a collection of defined and undefined rules that govern how we see and interact with our world. Those rules bias us towards certain actions and attitudes. They are the basis of our evaluations of others. A few years ago, I wrote a series of articles about my own rules (https://lambchow.com/category/series/dales-rules/)
The live audience that day, when Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, had their own biases based on a set of rules. Their lives, culture, and religion were centered on a collection of rules called “the Law and the prophets.” Specifically the Law of Moses and the words of the prophets in what we call the Old Testament.
Jesus taught that day – “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. “But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!” (Matthew 5:17–20, NLT)
Since that day, Jesus’ followers have struggled with how much of the Law of Moses Jesus fulfilled versus which parts of the Law are still to be observed. Some only observe the Ten Commandments, while others seek to follow the dietary and ceremonial aspects of the Law. But it is impossible, even by observant Jews, to practice the whole of the Law since much of it involves offering sacrifices before a priest at the temple.
This intersection of Christ-following faith and the Law would require a lengthy book to explore fully. But we can leap ahead to the conclusion of that book – unless your righteousness is better than the Law keeping teachers and Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus’ statement is earth-shattering, faith-shaking, and shocking, given that the preeminent righteous keepers of the Law in that day were the Pharisees.
You see, we can strive to keep the Law as a means to an end, or we can strive to follow Jesus and thereby keep the spirit of the Law. Over time, the Jewish religion turned the Law into a means of salvation. But the core of the Law is about maintaining our relationship with God and with each other. Jesus, in this sermon, will soon explode their thinking by returning the Law to its intended purpose with a few “You’ve heard it said, but I say” declarations.
But a question remains – how can our righteousness be better than the teachers of Law and the Pharisees? Consider Paul’s attitude in Philippians, “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.” (Philippians 3:8–9, NLT) Followers of the Jesus Way are righteous because of their faith in Christ. It’s not our law-keeping that makes us right before God but the gracious gift of righteousness imparted to us through Jesus Christ. That is the only way our righteousness could ever exceed those who kept the Law of Moses.
Our righteousness in Christ is the Alpha and Omega, the trailhead and destination of following the Jesus Way. We can’t begin the Way without first knowing Christ and that fully knowing Him is our destination.
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