Matthew 5:20 For I say to you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees… here, as elsewhere in the Gospels, designates that spiritual society which Jesus came on earth to found. The righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees was at fault because they placed righteousness in what a man does, irrespective of what he is, and though practising many things which might be called virtues, yet they did so from outward considerations. The results springing from these false principles were: I. Divorce of religion from common life. II. Overlaying of the spirit of God's law by the letter. III. Ostentation in the performance of their so-called religious duties, and uncharitable judgment of others. Pharisaism is a form of righteousness that is not extinct among us. (Dr. W. M. Taylor.)Here we have two things to consider: I. What was the righteousness of the Scribes and the Pharisees? II. How far that is to be exceeded by the righteousness of Christians. I. (1) The Pharisees obeyed the commandments in the letter, not in the spirit. They minded what God spake, but not what He intended; they were busy in the outward work of the hand, but not careful of the affections and choice of the heart. This was just as if a man should run on his master's errand, and do no business when he came there. (2) The Scribes and Pharisees placed their righteousness in negatives; they would not commit what was forbidden, but they cared little for the included positive, and the omissions of good actions did not much trouble them. (3) They broke Moses's tables into pieces, and gathering up the fragments, took to themselves what part of duty they pleased, and let the rest alone. II. (1) When it is said our "righteousness must exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees," we must do all that lies before us, all that is in our hand; the outward work must be done, and it is not enough to say " my heart went right, but my hand went aside."(2) Our righteousness must exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees, by extension of our obedience to things of the same signification. Whatever ministers to sin, and is the way of it, it partakes of its nature and its curse. (3) Christ's commandments extend our duty, not only to what is named, and what is not named of the same nature and design, but that we abstain from all such things as are like to sins. Of this there are many. All violences of passion, prodigality of our time, doing things unworthy our birth or profession, aptness to go to law, misconstruction of the words and actions of our brother, easiness to believe evil of others, willingness to report the evil we hear, indiscreet and importune standing for place, and other things prohibited by the Christian and royal law of charity. (Jeremy Taylor.) 1. It was a righteousness of the outward letter rather than of the inward spirit. They washed their hands, but not their hearts. 2. Another defect in their righteousness was its narrowness and partiality. God's commandment is exceeding broad; condemns anger as well as murder. 3. It contented itself too much with mere abstinences and negatives. 4. They mutilated the law's proper unity, reversed the principle that failure in one point makes guilty of all, and considered it enough to keep the law in general. 5. It leaned more on the blood in the veins than on thorough obedience in the life. They were of Jacob. 6. Their greatest defect was their self-sufficiency. (J. A. Seiss, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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. |
    |