Sermon on the Mount (VI)

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Sermon on the Mount (VI)
The Righteousness of the KingdomMt 5.20-45
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A Surpassing Righteousness

• Must Surpass that of the Scribes and Pharisees

Mt 520 For I say to you that unless your
righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and
Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of
heaven.
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A Surpassing Righteousness

• Must Surpass that of the Scribes and Pharisees
• Not in degree, but in kind

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The Righteousness of the Pharisees

• In Word Only

Mt 231-4 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to
His disciples, saying The scribes and the
Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of
Moses therefore all that they tell you, do and
observe, but do not do according to their deeds
for they say things and do not do them. They tie
up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders,
but they themselves are unwilling to move them
with so much as a finger.
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The Righteousness of the Pharisees

• Self-righteous and Self-glorifying

Mt 235-7 But they do all their deeds to be
noticed by men for they broaden their
phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their
garments. They love the place of honor at
banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues,
and respectful greetings in the market places,
and being called Rabbi by men.
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The Righteousness of the Pharisees

• Self-righteous and Self-glorifying

Mt 61-6 Beware of practicing your righteousness
before men to be noticed by them otherwise you
have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
So when you give to the poorwhen you pray.
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The Righteousness of the Pharisees

• Compartmentalized

Mt 2323 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and
cummin, and have neglected the weightier
provisions of the law justice and mercy and
faithfulness but these are the things you should
have done without neglecting the others.
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The Righteousness of the Pharisees

• Compartmentalized
• E.g. Ceremonial more important than moral
• E.g. The lighter more important than the
  weightier matters

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The Righteousness of the Pharisees

• External Only

Mt 2325-28 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup
and of the dish, but inside they are full of
robbery and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee,
first clean the inside of the cup and of the
dish, so that the outside of it may become clean
also. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs
which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside
they are full of dead men's bones and all
uncleanness. So you, too, outwardly appear
righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of
hypocrisy and lawlessness.
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The Righteousness of the Pharisees

• External Only

Mt 151-8 Then some Pharisees and scribes came
to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, Why do Your
disciples break the tradition of the elders? For
they do not wash their hands when they eat
bread. And He answered and said to them, Why do
you yourselves transgress the commandment of God
for the sake of your tradition? For God said,
'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,' and, 'HE WHO
SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO
DEATH.' But you say, 'Whoever says to his father
or mother, "Whatever I have that would help you
has been given to God," he is not to honor his
father or his mother.' And by this you
invalidated the word of God for the sake of your
tradition. You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah
prophesy of you 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH
THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.
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The Righteousness of the Pharisees

• In Word Only
• Self-righteous and Self-glorifying
• Compartmentalized
• External Only

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A Greater Righteousness

• In Deed and Truth (Jas 1.22 1 Jn 3.18)
• By Grace and to Christs Glory
• Lived Out In All Areas Of Our Lives
• Of the Heart, Mind And Soul
• Keeps the Spirit and Not Merely the Letter of the
  Law vs.21-45

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A Greater Righteousness

• Keeps the Spirit and Not Merely the Letter of the
  Law vs.21-45
• You have heard the ancients were told
• Their view of the Law of Moses

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A Greater Righteousness

• Keeps the Spirit and Not Merely the Letter of the
  Law vs.21-45
• Looks for the principles instead of a neat list

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A Greater Righteousness

• Keeps the Spirit and Not Merely the Letter of the
  Law vs.21-45
• Goes beyond the mere negative

Mt 521-26 You have heard that the ancients were
told, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER' and 'Whoever
commits murder shall be liable to the court.' But
I say to you that everyone who is angry with his
brother shall be guilty before the court and
whoever says to his brother, 'You
good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the
supreme court and whoever says, 'You fool,'
shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.
Therefore if you are presenting your offering at
the altar, and there remember that your brother
has something against you, leave your offering
there before the altar and go first be
reconciled to your brother, and then come and
present your offering.
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A Greater Righteousness

• Keeps the Spirit and Not Merely the Letter of the
  Law vs.21-45
• Legalism avoids sin only because it is illegal
• and Whoever commits murder shall be liable to
  the court
• No mention of judgment of God

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A Greater Righteousness

• Keeps the Spirit and Not Merely the Letter of the
  Law vs.21-45
• Legalism ignores the attitude that leads to the
  act
• Jesus went beyond the mere outward act to the
  attitude that prompts it.
• Anger leads to murder
• Lust leads to adultery and divorce

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A Greater Righteousness

• Keeps the Spirit and Not Merely the Letter of the
  Law vs.21-45
• Legalism looks for loopholes
• E.g. By emphasizing certain words keep your
  vows to the Lord (vs.33)
• E.g. By quoting only part of a passage (vs.38)
• E.g. By adding an unnecessary implication (vs.43)

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The Righteousness of the Kingdom

• Not In Word Only but In Deed and Truth
• Not Self-righteous and Self-glorifying but By
  Grace to Christs Glory
• Not Compartmentalized but Lived Out In All Areas
  Of Our Lives
• Not External Only but of the Heart, Mind And Soul
• Keeps the Spirit and Not Merely the Letter of the
  Law