Waiting to Breathe

I was recently describing the feeling of being hit real hard in the stomach so that the air flees from your lungs and you think you may never breathe again.  You know the feeling you experienced when your brother came off the back of the couch like it was the top rope of the ring you saw watching wrestling on TV.  Mathew 5:20 hits me that way.

Mat 5:17-20  "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.  (18)  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.  (19)  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.  (20)  For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Those had to be some alarming words for those who first heard Jesus speak them.  If there was anyone you would go to for an example of righteousness it was the scribes and Pharisees.  What do you mean Jesus, that my righteousness must exceed that of the most righteous people I know?  They fast twice a week, they have huge chunks of Scripture memorized and they give lectures on the meaning of the texts. Surely these guys righteousness has made it.

Fast forward to Mathew 23.  Jesus pronounces a series of woes against the scribes and pharisees.  He shows how the supposed righteousness of these men is self exalting, hypocritical, naive, external only, and actually opposed to God.  We read this passage and we are tempted to say "Thank you Lord that I am not like that Pharisee."  ...just like the Pharisee said.  We are tempted to see the expectation of righteousness and say like the rich young ruler "all these things I have done from my youth."  The problem is, you have not.  

The Pharisees take us as far down the road of human righteousness as you can travel.  Standing at the end of that road we look off in the distance and see that we are still a long way off from the righteousness of God.  Let these words take the air out of your lungs for a minute.  Give up.  

Then breathe deeply of the gospel: Rom 4:5-8  And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,  (6)  just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:  (7)  "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;  (8)  blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin."