You Will Never Enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Until Your Righteousness Exceeds the Pharisees)
A verse that stings, until you read it backwards.
“You will never enter the kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 5:20b) Ouch. Sipping my coffee through my morning devotions, God’s Word hit me like a ton of bricks. Why did Jesus just tell me that I would never enter the kingdom of Heaven? Not exactly the encouragement I wanted to start my day.
Yesterday, one of my piano students was learning a large, fast run in the middle of a Mozart piece. We divided the run into a pattern that repeats itself multiple times, but even after recognizing this pattern, the measure was a big, hairy mess. After multiple attempts and great frustration, I suggested we learn the pattern backwards, starting at the end. Minutes later, the passage was comprehended - slow, yet smooth.
What if I tried the same thing with today’s reading?
“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. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:19-20)
“You will never enter the kingdom of Heaven.”
Who will never enter?
If I go backwards, I’ll find my answer. “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of Heaven.”
Yikes. Obviously, the unrighteous will never enter, but the scribes and Pharisees? On the outside, they certainly appear to obey the law, but God looks at the heart. I’ve vented some not-so-nice words to Hubby over the past year and had some uber-critical thoughts. My righteousness exceeding that of the scribes and Pharisees? Hmm. Sometimes I’m wallowing in a sea of unrighteousness, flailing for a life preserver to save me from my own wretchedness.
“Whoever does the commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called great in the kingdom of Heaven.”
But I don’t follow all the commandments. No other gods. No worshipping carved images. No use of the Lord’s name in vain. Keep the Sabbath. Honor Mom and Dad. No murder, adultery, theft, false witnessing, or coveting. What commandments I don’t break on the outside, I break on the inside.
So how can I be made righteous?
And Jesus said, “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.” (emphasis mine)
So when Jesus came, He didn’t get rid of the Law, but instead showed that He is the only one who can perfectly obey the law. He lived a perfect life, and in His perfect life, fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament Scriptures. As John the Baptist announced, Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Putting my coffee down, I started reading again, this time going slowly forward. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the prophets, which will not go away or be changed because of Jesus.
Even though I can’t keep and teach the commandments perfectly like Jesus, I can still try. It would be kinda cool to be called great in the kingdom of Heaven! The only righteousness I have has been imputed to me by Jesus because I believe in Him, therefore my righteousness DOES exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees. I will therefore enter the kingdom of Heaven.
Thank you, Jesus, for taking the punishment for my sin when you died on the cross.
Will you enter the kingdom of Heaven? Ponder this as you enjoy Mozart.
First published in Pursuing Perfection on Substack by © Tessa Lind, tessalind.substack.com
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