The Impossible Standard and the Gift of Righteousness: Matthew 5:17-20
The Discouraging Standard
Imagine the most righteous person you know. Perhaps it's Mother Teresa, whose life was a testament to selfless service. Perhaps it's Martin Luther King Jr., whose unwavering commitment to justice changed a nation. Perhaps it's Gandhi, whose adherence to nonviolence earned India’s independence. Perhaps it’s someone closer to home, a family member or friend who embodies integrity and compassion in their daily life. I’m not making a moral judgment on these individuals; I simply want you to picture someone you feel is on a moral or ethical level that you could never achieve. Now, imagine that Jesus sets that person—that paragon of virtue in your mind—as the standard for entering Heaven. Imagine needing to be better than that person to experience eternal bliss.
Would you not feel discouraged? Would despair not creep into your heart? The weight of such a seemingly impossible standard would crush your spirit. Yet, this is precisely what Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount: “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20).
The scribes and Pharisees were the religious elite of Jesus’ day. They were meticulously observant of the Law; Jesus said they tithed even the spices in their cabinets.
Matthew 23:23, “23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness.”
The scribes were highly trained experts in the Old Testament Law, devoting years to their study. They would often start their studies as children and continue their formal training until their ordination at 40. The study of the Old Testament was their profession. The Pharisees were a movement within Judaism known for their rigorous adherence to the Law, often adding their own interpretations and “fences” around the commandments to avoid even the slightest transgression. Many scribes were also Pharisees.
When Jesus' first-century audience heard that their righteousness needed to exceed that of these individuals, it would have sounded like an impossible challenge. Their seemingly flawless adherence to the Law seemed unattainable, leaving his followers with the terrifying thought that salvation may be beyond their grasp. How could they hope to get into heaven if the standard was set so high?
A Different Kind of Righteousness
But Jesus doesn’t intend to set up a competition, a striving to outperform the religious elite at their own game. He points to something far deeper, a different kind of righteousness altogether. While the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees was outwardly impressive, it was fundamentally flawed. Jesus didn’t share the standard appraisal of the righteous behavior of these two groups. He was not impressed.
Jesus’ subsequent words in the Sermon on the Mount reveal the flaw in their righteousness. In Matthew 5:21-48, He critiques the motives of their heart and exposes the faulty standard of merely judging someone as righteous based on their outward adherence to the Law. Their obedience was external, not internal; it was a carefully constructed façade rather than a genuine reflection of an inner transformation. Further, in Matthew 6:1-18, Jesus criticizes their piety as merely a performance. They were more like actors looking for applause than worshipers seeking to please God.
Their righteousness lacked authenticity; it lacked the genuine love and compassion that should have flowed from hearts transformed by God’s grace. They were meticulous in their outward conformity but completely lacking in inner transformation. This is not the kind of righteousness that pleases God. How can we gain a righteousness that comes from a pure heart?
Big Idea: God gives the righteousness He demands. The pressure to achieve a righteous heart is relieved by God’s grace in Christ, not our efforts. It is in the work of Christ that our burden is lifted and our most profound need is met.
The Fulfillment of the Law: The Key to a Righteous Heart
The key to understanding how we can gain this exceeding righteousness lies in the verses preceding Jesus’ challenging statement. In verses 17-19, He says: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
The word "fulfill" is crucial. It is placed in contrast with the idea of “abolish,” which is a very strong term that means to utterly destroy. Jesus used this term when He foretold the destruction of the temple in Matthew 24. Abolishing the Old Testament in this way would be like ripping it out of our Bible, not simply seeing some of its commands as not applying to New Testament believers, such as the food laws and sacrificial system. Jesus' attitude toward the Old Testament was not negative; He didn’t hate it. He states that its witness will endure till the end of time. An “iota” is the smallest letter in the Greek alphabet, and a “dot” refers to a part of a letter. Jesus emphasizes that even the tiniest piece of the Old Testament will stand. Jesus speaks of the lasting nature of the Law when He says that it will not pass away until “heaven and earth pass away” and “all is accomplished.” We should understand these two phrases together as referring to the end of this age. Jesus uses similar language in Chapter 24 when He talks about His second coming. The witness and message of the Old Testament will endure. We should read it and cherish it. We must also see that it doesn’t stand on its own; it needs to be “fulfilled,” it is pointing forward toward something, actually someone, Jesus.
Matthew uses the word “fulfill” frequently in his gospel. Up to this point, he has used it to refer to how Jesus has “fulfilled” Old Testament prophecy. We see this with reference to Jesus’ childhood in 1:22-23; 2:5-6, 15, 17-18, and 23. Matthew also uses this term in reference to Jesus’ ministry fulfilling a prophecy in Isaiah 7:14-16. The word “fulfill” connects well with the concept of prophecy, but it appears to be oddly paired with the Law. How can one “fulfill” the law in a prophetic sense? How does the Law prophesy? How does the Law point forward to something? Fulfilling doesn’t mean obeying here. Matthew repeats the idea of the Law prophesying in 11:13.
Matthew 11:11-14, “11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.”
Here, he combines the witness of the Law and the Prophets, as both looking forward to a time of fulfillment. The Law does not simply speak to moral obligations in the present; it points to a future reality. We must also keep in mind that “the Law and the Prophets” did not only include legal codes and prophecies; it also included the history books, the stories of Israel’s past. It is paramount to see that Jesus is claiming to fulfill the story, the Law, and all the prophecies of the Old Testament.
The Law itself, with all its detailed regulations, prophesies the coming of Jesus. It points toward a deeper reality, the need for the transformation of the human heart. This transformation is described in the Old Testament, where God promises to write his Law not on stone tablets but on the hearts of his people.
Jeremiah 31:31-34, “31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
The message of the Law, which is revealed by the prophets, therefore, isn’t simply “just do it.” It is “just admit it.” Admit your inability to fulfill its demands perfectly. Admit the failings of your own heart. This is the place where God’s grace steps in.
The Gift of Righteousness
The greater righteousness we are called to isn’t earned through our own efforts; it's a gift, freely given to those who recognize their need for it. Jesus' life, death, and resurrection fulfill the Law. He is the embodiment of perfect righteousness. But more than that, He offers us His righteousness as a gift. The righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees is not something we achieve through our own efforts; it is a gift of God's grace, freely given to those who “hunger and thirst” for it, as the Beatitudes describe (Matthew 5:6).
Jesus took upon Himself the penalty for our disobedience. He fulfilled the requirements of the Law on our behalf. Through faith in Him, we receive His righteousness as a gift, a righteousness that transforms our hearts. This righteousness transcends mere outward conformity and is rooted in a deep and abiding relationship with God.
Steps
If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, I want to invite you to examine the condition of your heart. Is your obedience a performance driven by self-interest or fear, or is it a genuine outflow of a transformed heart motivated by love for God and love for neighbor? Check your spiritual pulse. Where do you find confidence that your faith is genuine? In your actions or the affections of your heart?
For those who haven't yet embraced Christ, I implore you to give Him your heart. He is the only one who can transform it. The roots of sin are too deep for you to dig out. Your condition is spiritually fatal, and there is only one remedy. It requires your humility. It is painful to admit, but your gracious heavenly Father is waiting by your side for you to call out for help. Today, I hope that you are hearing His voice. He is calling you home, calling you by name, and paving the way for you to come back to Him. He has crushed every mountain in your way and has filled every valley that separates you from him. Come. Turn your heart toward Him, let Him shower you with grace, and give you a new heart today.
Life-Level Application
Head: Read Matthew 15:11-20. Why do you believe the Pharisees were “offended” by what Jesus said? What does Jesus mean by inferring that the Pharisees were not “planted” by the Father? How do you see the sins Jesus lists as originating from the heart?
Heart: Read Hosea 6:1-6. How is Israel’s love like a “morning cloud”? Why does God not want the sacrifices and offerings of His people, which He commanded them to give in the Law? How should we understand the pairing of “love” and “knowledge” in verse 6?
Hand: Read Philippians 3:4-9. How does Paul describe his former life before his conversion? What details does he include, and what do these details reveal about his pre-Christian identity and mindset? Why does Paul consider all these things "rubbish," or "dung" (depending on the translation)? What motivates this dramatic assessment? What are the implications of this statement for his new set of values and priorities?
Habit: The sermon mentions "hungering and thirsting for righteousness" (Matthew 5:6). How would you describe your own spiritual hunger? What steps can you take to cultivate a deeper desire for God and His righteousness?
