The Wisdom of God: Righteousness

There is a special species of trees found in the African desert called the “Shepherd’s Tree.” It is a hearty evergreen type of tree that survives well in the desert and the shepherds find shade for themselves and their flocks from the hot sun. Locals call this tree, the “Tree of Life.” The roots can be dried and ground for a type of coffee or to make porridge. The trunk can catch rainwater and even the leaves and flowers can provide medicine or food. So, the next time you’re on an African safari, I want you to look for the tree of life or the Shepherd’s Tree. The reason I share all that is to highlight the roots of this special tree. The tree roots of this tree have been measured at over 230 feet deep. As a comparison, most tree roots are about a couple feet deep. The Shepherd’s tree root system can inspire us as follower of Christ to have deep roots.

In my Bible reading a couple weeks ago, I read Proverbs 12.3 (NLT), “The godly have deep roots.” Today, we turn our attention to Jesus’ words on the Sermon on the Mount today. In Matthew 5.20, Jesus calls His kingdom followers to a deeper way of life.

Matthew 5:20 NIV

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

As we look at Matthew 5.20, we find three ways Jesus calls His kingdom followers to a deeper way of life.

First, Jesus calls His followers to a deeper heart. (righteousness surpasses)

Jesus calls His followers to a deeper heart or a greater righteousness. Righteousness as Jesus used it could mean to conform to His kingdom rule. Jesus wants us to make some changes in our heart. When coupled with the Holy Spirit, Christ’s followers can go deeper in their walk. In a sense, we can have a deeper heart.

In Matthew 5.21-48, Jesus gives six examples of what a deeper heart looks like when he addresses: murder, adultery, divorce, oaths, retaliation, and enemies.

In Matthew 5.21, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder’…but I tell you anyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment.” If you call them a name or say, “You fool!” you will be in the danger of the fire of hell. Instead, reconcile with your brother or sister. Settle it quickly your adversary or you may be thrown into prison.

Next in Matthew 5.27, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you anyone who looks a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Jesus continues in Matthew 5.31, “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality makes her a victim of adultery.” These verses are not the only teachings about divorce from Jesus. You can go to Matthew 19 for more. I think Jesus is saying work on your marriage. Men respect women enough to make sure they are cared for. In the first century world, divorced women were generally destined for poverty and vulnerable to predatory males. The heart of this teaching to “protect marriage and family , thereby preventing the betrayal of innocent spouses (Craig Keener, The Gospel of Matthew).

In the fourth example, Jesus addresses oaths and our words. In Matthew 5.33, 37, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’…All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” You don’t need to swear by anything. Be trustworthy and honest and faithful. Be a person of your word.

The fifth example, Jesus addresses retaliation. In Matthew 5.38-39, 41, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also....If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.” My son, Weston, was working on a writing assignment about ancient Roman government for his social studies class. In the Roman empire, soldiers could ask anyone to carry bags for a mile. Jesus envisions a people instead of rebellion, but a nonviolent resistance.

In the sixth example, Jesus takes retaliation a step further and challenges His people to love their enemies. In Matthew 5.43-45, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.”

Our Core 52 action step for this week challenges us to write a note to yourself, identifying your nearest enemy—whom you need to love as Jesus does. Notice you don’t have to write the person, but write it down. Name your nearest enemy. Then, based on what you are hearing from these words of Jesus and the impressions of the Holy Spirit, what is God telling you to do? How does He want you to feel about this relationship.

Jesus is calling His people to a deeper heart.

Corrie ten Boom, author of The Hiding Place, describes her life in Holland during World War II. Their family hid the Jews to keep them safe from the Germans. Later, Corrie and her sister, Betsie, would be arrested and sent to a concentration camp. Betsie would die in that camp. Corrie would survive and then later travel back to Germany to teach about forgiveness. (The story quoted below can be found here: https://www.guideposts.org/better-living/positive-living/guideposts-classics-corrie-ten-boom-forgiveness).

It was 1947 and I had come from Holland to defeated Germany with the message that God forgives.

It was the truth they needed most to hear in that bitter, bombed-out land, and I gave them my favorite mental picture. Maybe because the sea is never far from a Hollander’s mind, I liked to think that that’s where forgiven sins were thrown.

“When we confess our sins,” I said, “God casts them into the deepest ocean, gone forever.”

The solemn faces stared back at me, not quite daring to believe. There were never questions after a talk in Germany in 1947. People stood up in silence, in silence collected their wraps, in silence left the room.

And that’s when I saw him, working his way forward against the others. One moment I saw the overcoat and the brown hat; the next, a blue uniform and a visored cap with its skull and crossbones.

It came back with a rush: the huge room with its harsh overhead lights, the pathetic pile of dresses and shoes in the center of the floor, the shame of walking naked past this man. I could see my sister’s frail form ahead of me, ribs sharp beneath the parchment skin. Betsie, how thin you were!

Betsie and I had been arrested for concealing Jews in our home during the Nazi occupation of Holland; this man had been a guard at Ravensbrück concentration camp where we were sent.

Now he was in front of me, hand thrust out: “A fine message, fräulein! How good it is to know that, as you say, all our sins are at the bottom of the sea!”

And I, who had spoken so glibly of forgiveness, fumbled in my pocketbook rather than take that hand. He would not remember me, of course–how could he remember one prisoner among those thousands of women?

But I remembered him and the leather crop swinging from his belt. It was the first time since my release that I had been face to face with one of my captors and my blood seemed to freeze.

“You mentioned Ravensbrück in your talk,” he was saying. “I was a guard in there.” No, he did not remember me.

“But since that time,” he went on, “I have become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fräulein”–again the hand came out–“will you forgive me?”

And I stood there–I whose sins had every day to be forgiven–and could not. Betsie had died in that place–could he erase her slow terrible death simply for the asking?

It could not have been many seconds that he stood there, hand held out, but to me it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had ever had to do.

For I had to do it–I knew that. The message that God forgives has a prior condition: that we forgive those who have injured us. “If you do not forgive men their trespasses,” Jesus says, “neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

I knew it not only as a commandment of God, but as a daily experience. Since the end of the war I had had a home in Holland for victims of Nazi brutality.

Those who were able to forgive their former enemies were able also to return to the outside world and rebuild their lives, no matter what the physical scars. Those who nursed their bitterness remained invalids. It was as simple and as horrible as that.

And still I stood there with the coldness clutching my heart. But forgiveness is not an emotion–I knew that too. Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.

“Jesus, help me!” I prayed silently. “I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling.”

And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes.

“I forgive you, brother!” I cried. “With all my heart!”

Second, Jesus calls His followers to a deeper witness. (Pharisees and teachers of the law)

The Pharisees and teachers of the law appeared religious. In fact, we must be careful to pile on too quickly on the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. Be careful with stereotyping people, labeling them, and putting them in boxes. The Pharisees show up 97 times in the New Testament. Many times these religious leaders are denounced, but there are a few hidden exceptions. (See Tom Hovestol’s book, Extreme Righteousness—Seeing Ourselves in the Pharisees, pp. 31ff).

The gospel of Luke recounts three times that Pharisees invited Jesus over for dinner (Luke 7.36-50; 11.37-54; 14.1-24). In fact, tucked away in Luke 13.31, some Pharisees come to Jesus with a warning, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” Two Pharisees are even named in the gospels: Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. Both of whom work together to bury the body of Jesus.

In fact, the Pharisees and teachers of the law would have been like your preachers, your elders, deacons, Sunday school teachers, youth group leaders. These were good people, but later in Matthew 23, Jesus will denounce these religious leaders as hypocrites six times. In fact, in Matthew 6, he warns about giving to those in need in secret and not for a show like the hypocrites (Matt. 6.2). He also invites you to pray in secret, and not like the hypocrites who prayed publicly to be seen by others (Matt. 6.5). He also invites his followers to wash their faces when they fast, instead of disfiguring your face to look gloomy like the hypocrites (Matt. 6.16).

Rachel Held Evans tells her story in her book, Faith Unraveled. She told about a time when she was in sixth grade at a Christian school where every year each class chose a boy and a girl for Best Christian Attitude. She won the award four years in a row. She writes,

I was worrying about whether the teacher could deduce from my handwriting that I had voted for myself, when Evan, the chubby sandy-haired boy who sat to my right, accidently dropped his pencil. It rolled across the aisle and stopped under my desk. Evan silently signaled for me to please pick it up for him, and I hesitated because he was a troublemaker, and I didn’t want the teacher to catch me passing things back and forth with a troublemaker. It crossed my mind that helping him out would earn me some Best Christian Attitude Award points, but then I remembered that we had already taken the vote, so I just smiled back at him, shrugged my shoulders, and hoped he wouldn’t end up in my class next year. Poor Evan lumbered away from his desk to pick up his pencil, which resulted in a severe scolding from the teacher…earning him double demerits. I’ll never forget the look of dismay and betrayal on his face and the way my heart sank like a stone when I saw it (pages 37-38).

Christ is calling His followers to a deeper witness.

Third, Jesus calls His followers to a deeper allegiance. (Kingdom of heaven)

My friend, Jim Dalrymple, teaches on this passage in his Next Level video, “Your Kingdom Come,” that is on our Right Now Media Bookshelf. You can get a free login when you text “BERLINCC” TO 49775. In his teaching on righteousness, Jim says that Jesus is casting a vision of His kingdom more than entrance requirements.

The kingdom of heaven is a favorite theme for Matthew’s gospel and the preaching of Jesus. In fact, the theme of the first sermon recorded in Matthew’s gospel is simply, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 4.17).

We have also seen kingdom of heaven a couple of times in this sermon on the mountain. The first time is in the first beatitude in Matthew 5.3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” We see it again in Matthew 5.10, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

We see it again in the immediate context of our verse in Matthew 5.19, “Therefor anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Next week, Michael will preach on the prayer of Jesus, that many people call the Lord’s prayer. In that prayer in Matthew 6.10, Jesus will teach us to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus continues in this sermon in Matthew 6.33, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

As Jesus nears the end of this sermon, He offers a chilling challenge that sounds similar to our theme verse today.

Matthew 7:21 NIV

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Jesus has a kingdom. He invites us to join His kingdom mission to change the world that He is calling the kingdom of heaven. It is not really a place, but a people. The kingdom of heaven is a people who have confessed allegiance to the rule of God in their lives. If there is a kingdom, then there must be a king, King Jesus. This kingdom is built on a righteousness that is deeper. It is not one that puts on a mask in public to hide secrets done in secret. That’s hypocrisy. It’s not a righteousness that is pursuing good work to find favor with God to pay Him back. That’s earning something that is given to us. King Jesus is calling His people to confess allegiance to His kingdom in deeper ways.

Week 19 in Core 52 by Mark Moore

(These daily guides accompany the book, Core 52 by Mark Moore.)

Day 1: Read the essay.

Day 2: Memorize Matthew 5.20.

Day 3: Read Judges 15-16.

Day 4: Meditate on Matthew 5.32, 44, 48.

Day 5: Write a note to yourself, identifying your nearest enemy—whom you need to love as Jesus does.

Overachiever Challenge: Memorize Matthew 5.44.

Bonus Read: Bob Goff, Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World.

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