I've spent my life in church. I started attending regularly about nine months before I was born and have missed only a handful of Sundays, generally with very good excuses, in the years since. I was a pretty good kid too. I can look you in the eye and tell you that I have never done most of the things that were considered big sins. I've never murdered anyone or robbed a bank. Never! I have not committed adultery before or after I said "I do" to my wife. I was raised with solid Christian values and have tried to live those out in my own life.
If it were not for Matthew 5:21-48, I could grasp my lapels with smug self-righteousness, set myself up as the judge and jury for the "sinners" of this world and look down my nose at them in judgment. Jesus' words in that passage made that impossible. He took the wind right out of the sails of pharisaical self-righteousness when he told the people that their righteousness must actually exceed that of the Pharisees or they would never enter God's kingdom. That was shocking to those who views the Pharisees as the pinnacle of religious achievement.
Jesus would look at a good church boy like me and say, "Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the good church boy, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Our works will never get us there. No matter how good we think we are, our goodness is not enough.
That is because of the way that Jesus raised the stakes on righteousness in this passage. I've never murdered anyone, but I've held hate in my heart and Jesus said that gives evidence of the same guilty heart as murder. Obviously, the consequences are different between murder and anger. But they both come from a selfish heart, a heart of disdain and hatred. I can look my wife in the eyes and tell her that I have been faithful to her every day of our marriage, but if you ask me if I have ever "looked on a woman with lust in my heart" I might decide to plead the fifth amendment. Let's move on, please. I may never have robbed a bank, but is my yes always yes and my no always no? Do I love my enemies as Christ commanded?
Jesus took things beneath the surface, to the heart. On the surface my life looks decent, but in my heart live the seeds of unrighteousness even if they have never sprung to the surface. My upbringing, my parents, my life in the church - all these things might have helped me to hide the filth in my heart but it is there nonetheless.
That is why I need Jesus. He does more than just whitewash the outside of our lives. He goes deep inside to cleanse us. By his blood he purchased our redemption and with that blood he washes us whiter than snow - from the inside out. Only Jesus can do that.
Thank God that Jesus blew my self-righteous, lapel-grabbing, judgmental ways out of the water. That is the way of death, because we can never be good enough to earn God's favor. Jesus provides a righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees, that of the self-righteous "church boys" like me. He redeems us by his blood and clothes us with his righteousness, and that is our only hope of eternal glory.
If it were not for Matthew 5:21-48, I could grasp my lapels with smug self-righteousness, set myself up as the judge and jury for the "sinners" of this world and look down my nose at them in judgment. Jesus' words in that passage made that impossible. He took the wind right out of the sails of pharisaical self-righteousness when he told the people that their righteousness must actually exceed that of the Pharisees or they would never enter God's kingdom. That was shocking to those who views the Pharisees as the pinnacle of religious achievement.
Jesus would look at a good church boy like me and say, "Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the good church boy, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Our works will never get us there. No matter how good we think we are, our goodness is not enough.
That is because of the way that Jesus raised the stakes on righteousness in this passage. I've never murdered anyone, but I've held hate in my heart and Jesus said that gives evidence of the same guilty heart as murder. Obviously, the consequences are different between murder and anger. But they both come from a selfish heart, a heart of disdain and hatred. I can look my wife in the eyes and tell her that I have been faithful to her every day of our marriage, but if you ask me if I have ever "looked on a woman with lust in my heart" I might decide to plead the fifth amendment. Let's move on, please. I may never have robbed a bank, but is my yes always yes and my no always no? Do I love my enemies as Christ commanded?
Jesus took things beneath the surface, to the heart. On the surface my life looks decent, but in my heart live the seeds of unrighteousness even if they have never sprung to the surface. My upbringing, my parents, my life in the church - all these things might have helped me to hide the filth in my heart but it is there nonetheless.
That is why I need Jesus. He does more than just whitewash the outside of our lives. He goes deep inside to cleanse us. By his blood he purchased our redemption and with that blood he washes us whiter than snow - from the inside out. Only Jesus can do that.
Thank God that Jesus blew my self-righteous, lapel-grabbing, judgmental ways out of the water. That is the way of death, because we can never be good enough to earn God's favor. Jesus provides a righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees, that of the self-righteous "church boys" like me. He redeems us by his blood and clothes us with his righteousness, and that is our only hope of eternal glory.
Father, may I never be content with simply cleaning up the outside, with impressing others with my "church boy" righteousness. I thank you that your Son died for me. Cleanse me from the inside. Purify me. Give me true love, real joy, a pure heart, a passion for you.
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