The Pharisees were about as righteous as you can get. That was really their whole purpose. They began as an order somewhere around 150 BC. We don’t know a whole lot about their origins, but it seems that they developed out of the scribes of the people. They emphasized oral tradition together with the written law of God. They believed that all the laws about Jewish practices should be observed not just at the temple, but all through life. Their goals in life were to live righteously, to pass down their traditions, and to spur the common people on to greater piety.
And they were actually quite popular in Israel. Some people who were in the priestly class were elitist, but the Pharisees weren’t really seen that way. The people saw them as men who were dedicated to God. They had as much righteousness as anybody, as much as you can get.
But it wasn’t righteousness enough.
You really need to understand who the Pharisees were and how they were seen when Jesus says, “Indeed I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and experts in the law, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
If you think of the Pharisees as self-absorbed, haughty hypocrites, the kind of people who looked down on everyone else and only cared about themselves, then you might hear Jesus’ words, “you must be more righteous than the Pharisees” and think to yourself, “I can do that. I don’t look down my nose at everyone around me. I don’t boast about how much better I am and lift myself up by tearing everyone down.” But that’s not what Jesus is saying. He’s saying, “Think of the most righteous people you can think of. Maybe for us we’d think of our pastors. Some of those guys don’t seem to struggle with sin the way I do.” Maybe we think of a respected family member. “I don’t think my grandfather ever did anything wrong his entire life. What an upstanding man. I wish I could be like him.”
But this is when Jesus says, “Who is righteous? Who is respected? Who is upstanding? Is there a group, like the Pharisees? Or maybe the monastics in Luther’s day? Is there someone among your family, your friends, someone in your church that you look up to, that you see as righteous? Will that satisfy God? How holy do you need to be to get to heaven? Run to Jesus, because only his is righteousness enough.
Our sermon text for today is a portion of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew chapter 5. One of the things that is striking about this sermon is just how strongly Jesus proclaims the law. Don’t get the idea that following Jesus is a cakewalk. Jesus isn’t going to pat you on the back when you sin and say, “Hey buddy, at least you tried.” This is the same God who gave the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai. The Pharisees might have thought that they understood and kept that law, but Jesus says, “No. That’s not enough!”
He said,
21“You have heard that it was said to people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22But I tell you that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause will be subject to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will have to answer to the Sanhedrin. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of hell fire.
Of course everyone knows the commandment “You shall not murder.” That’s the Fifth Commandment. The people back then knew it too. God had given the Ten Commandments to Moses almost 1500 years before Jesus preached this sermon.
Of all the commandments, the fifth commandment has got to be one of the easiest ones to keep, right? We’ve all heard about how Cain murdered his brother Abel. What a terrible crime! In fact, I can’t even fathom murdering someone. I might watch a movie or read a book where someone is murdered and the thought of it is so awful it makes me shudder.
So then, since I have never murdered anyone, since I find even the idea of snuffing out an innocent person’s life to be abhorrent, well then that must mean I have kept this commandment. On this account surely I must be righteous before God.
But Jesus says, “Think again. But I tell you…” Because of what Jesus say here some people have called him a new lawgiver. Before, there was Moses and the Ten Commandments. Now here’s Jesus, with even more commands. But what Jesus is doing here is not introducing something new. He’s explaining the fullness of the law, what God’s eternal law always said. Yes, of course the person who murders will be subject to judgment. But that isn’t enough to be truly righteous before God. Not even close. Jesus gives three examples of sins against this commandment and three punishments:
Everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause will be subject to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will have to answer to the Sanhedrin. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of hell fire.
All three of these “crimes” are things no human court would consider to be crimes. No one gets arrested for being angry. The Aramaic insult “Raca” means something like “blockhead!” It’s not a particularly vulgar word, but it’s something you might say in frustration. Calling someone a fool might be a little sharper, but it’s still so minor we wouldn’t even think of it as being in the same ballpark as murder.
And yet, what terrible punishments await the person who is guilty of such minor crimes! Jesus isn’t giving categories to these when he says that they will be subject to judgment, or have to answer to the Sanhedrin, or be in danger or hell fire. In a sort of poetic way he’s saying that even the tiniest of these sins is taken absolutely seriously before God. Nothing is brushed off. Nothing is forgotten. Nothing is ignored. You could have a perfect life except for that one time that you were angry at your brother without a cause and on Judgment Day God would say, “Do you think you are righteous? Do you think you deserve to enter the kingdom of heaven? It’s not enough. You’re stained with sin. Depart from me. Into the fire of hell with you!”
The terrible reality that Jesus puts right in front of my face then is that I am not more righteous than the Pharisees. Do I think I have kept the commandment, “You shall not murder”? I haven’t kept it enough. Maybe I have not taken the life of my brother as Cain did, but Cain was actually committing murder in his heart long before he reached out a hand against Abel. Have I ever been angry? Have I ever lashed out? Have I ever called someone a fool? More times than I could count!
The Pharisees were about as righteous as a man can be, and yet it wasn’t enough. No matter how hard you try it won’t be enough. But there is one who is more righteous. Jesus is your righteousness. He shed his blood for the sins of the world. That means that the murderer who has, like Cain, taken a life in cold blood, has his sins paid for by the blood of Jesus. And the person who has unleashed his tongue in insults has his sins paid for by the blood of Jesus. And the person who has controlled every outward expression but whose heart has gone black with anger has his sins paid for by the blood of Jesus. You are more righteous than the Pharisees because in Holy Baptism you have been robed with the perfect righteousness of Jesus.
Jesus tells us these things so that we will live in his perfect righteousness. Don’t take Jesus’ work for you as an excuse for sin. Far from it! Jesus says, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy them but to fulfill them.” On the contrary, you know what it is that Jesus has saved you from. Hell’s mouth was open wide to swallow you until Jesus snatched you away. With Jesus’ righteousness as your baptismal robe and with Jesus own body and blood as your food to strengthen you, you have a new life to live. You have a new heart that wants to serve God, not just by avoiding gross outward sins, but in every way, in thought and word and deed just as he has forgiven you of every sin of thought and word and deed.
In your relationship with your fellow man you can see your relationship with your God. And so Jesus tells you that if your brother has something against you don’t just ignore it. Leave your offerings at the altar if you need to and be reconciled to your brother first. John, in chapter 4 of his first epistle, says, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother, he is a liar. For how can anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, love God, whom he has not seen?” (1 Jn 4:20)
In the same way, Jesus says
“If someone accuses you, reach an agreement with him quickly, while you are with him on the way. Otherwise your accuser may bring you to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen I tell you: You will never get out until you have paid the last penny.”
As blood-bought sons and daughters of our God, we should let go of anger and hatred. Are these things worth dying over? Are they worth forfeiting our souls? Should we turn our backs on the love of our God? You can’t pay off your debt in hell. Only Christ can pay it for you.
Do not trust in your own righteousness. Do not use Jesus’ righteousness as a license for sin. God has given you a great and high calling to love your neighbor, to help and befriend him in every bodily need. Carry out this responsibility with joy, because you have Jesus. And Jesus is righteousness enough.
Amen.
— Pastor Seth Georgson