“For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” (Matt. 5:20-24 KJV)
Citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven was the supreme issue for Christ. He wanted his followers to know that religiosity was insufficient to gain an entrance there. No! There will not be an angel or holy apostle standing at the gates asking questions, etc. One’s righteousness simply must go beyond practicing rules and rituals . . . and must surpass form and observance.
As an example of his point, Jesus warns his audience of three dangers. First, there is the danger of unjust anger. Remember Cain! This is the anger of a murderous attitude. It activates the least punishment deserved. Second, there is the danger of pride-filled anger. This the anger that speaks scorn, contempt, malice, and vicious words. It is the anger of a murderous tongue. It activates a stronger punishment. Finally, there is the danger of condemning anger. This is the anger of a murderous spirit. It is born of pride and refuses to offer mercy or grace. It activates the harshest punishment possible — hell-fire judgment.
The conclusion of the matter is this: reconcile with your brother, don’t kill him (in any manner). Jesus infers that a “scribe and Pharisee” righteousness simply follows the letter of the law, while true righteousness will embody the spirit of the law. Righteousness preserves love and peace in our relationships. Then, should a breach of peace occur, the righteous person works at reconciliation and restoration of the relationship. How? We humbly confess our own faults. We ask forgiveness for any personal acts or words that may have contributed to the breach. And we make restitution, offering to satisfy any wrong for which we are guilty.
Jesus indicates there are two reasons why a righteous person will reconcile quickly (vss. 23-24): (1) we cannot properly commune with God in such situations; and (2) our worship is not acceptable to God, in such circumstances. “Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation” (Psalm 24:3-5 KJV).
Remember, in 2010 we want to be certain of our citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven. We do not want to allow any situation to hinder our worship and communion with God.
Dear Father, thank you for warning us against self-righteous attitudes and actions. Empower us with the spirit of Christ’s righteousness that we might fully enjoy your fellowship. This I pray in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Be encouraged today as a citizen of righteousness,