Greater Than Pharisees
KJV
Matthew 5:20 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.
This in one of those passages where we have to fill in the
plain language of the statement. Many people try to stay with the basic thought
without the implication. The Pharisees were noted for being quite serious about
everything they did. People saw that as holiness, so they were saints, very
noble and important in the eyes of all.
“But they were always opposed to Jesus,” some would answer,
and that is true, but that is because He preached the righteousness of faith in
Him, which turned their concept upside-down and took away from their
self-esteem and vainglory.
Paul’s opening to the Romans, chapters 1-4, uses this model,
showing that no one can be saved based upon any righteousness except the
righteousness of faith in Christ. Abraham is the first example of those who are
justified by faith in the Savior. Anything else is the mistaken holiness of
works, and that is not only wrong but deceptive and evil in its impact.
We live very much in a Pharisaical age, where virtue
signaling is constant and expected. This is honored many different ways, with
phony charities, with appearing to favor the right causes, with hating the
targets of the influencers. If a group is offended by some chance remark, the
celebrity is expected to give a large donation to that group and then confess
his sin with abject humility.
Denominations participate in this in many ways. They will say
they are more socially active (more Left-wing) than others. Or, they will claim
to be more “conservative” than anyone else, even while doing and teaching things
that would have meant excommunication a few years ago. Challenge what they
teach and practice? – they will respond with great venom and anger, righteous
anger, they imagine.
There is really little faith, as Jesus warned, “When the Son
of Man returns, will He find faith?” Clearly that statement means – “Not very
much faith at all.”
Those who criticize Lenski are examples of not much faith.
Let’s look at the basics – he taught the inerrancy of the Scriptures (the
historic position of the Church) and Justification by Faith. His own synod did
their best to silence him and they changed their position to errancy. They were
subtle about it, and that was repeated for their 1960 merger, less subtle in
1987. Needless to say, they have lost ground ever since.
Walter Maier was in another synod, yet he also taught Scriptural
inerrancy and Justification by Faith (see the book Otten published). But his
synod, without merging, rejected inerrancy and the Chief Article, even while
deceiving people about their real stance.
In the past, ministers thought they could teach the
Scriptures as they are and have good results from teaching faith in Christ,
with no dancing around or avoiding those two issues, Scriptural inerrancy and
Justification by Faith. When they lost faith in the Word of God’s efficacy,
they began clutching at gimmicks and marketing to make them look successful.
It has been shown that a crumbling shell of a church can be
revived simply by teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And a church can be
formed by doing the same, having no assets, land, or building.
One reason is that people hear works-righteousness all the
time, at work, on TV, among misguided relatives and friends. The Gospel is the
answer to all that wearisome blather - “We are the best, the biggest, the most
effective, the most trusted, the longest established, the everything…”
I have worked secular jobs where everything is the Law – or else.
“Please take this class in _____. If you don’t, you will not be paid or allowed
to work again. Thank you for your cooperation.”
21 Ye have heard that it was said by
them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in
danger of the judgment: 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his
brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall
say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever
shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Where faith is lacking, anger and wrath are going to
prevail. No one is ever satisfied with getting even. If that happens, the other
side will get even. The Hatfield-McCoy battle in West Virginia began with one
episode. So many on each side got even with the other side that they called a
truce finally and began having reunions instead. They married into each other’s
families, so that made vendettas increasingly awkward. One of the descendants
told us about it.
Social media tools have made this a bigger problem. We can
be in touch with all kinds of people around the world. We can see the
outrageous things they support. And they feel that way about us. The Internet
has leveraged friendships and anger. As I have pointed out to online students,
anything published or posted will look much more critical than intended. That is
why the online classes can be more troublesome. It is easier to post a smart
remark than to say it face-to-face.
Faith in Christ is essential because faith and grace go
together (Romans 4). Forgiveness and salvation is through faith so it will be by
grace.
Romans 4:16 Therefore it is of faith,
that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all
the seed;
Faith means that our anger is turned away and extinguished
by our own repentance and humility. True, unkindness and thoughtless can spark
anger, but at the same time, thinking about our own unkindness and thoughtlessness
can give us an experience of humility and understanding. We know we are happy
when well fed and rested, grouchy when hungry and tired. Children do not hide
it – they just let go. Adults have ask themselves, “Did I mean to be so touchy?
Why not start over.”
The hardest words to say are – “I’m sorry.” But people
agree the best words to hear are “I’m sorry.”
The Atonement shows us that Isaiah 53 was fulfilled by Jesus
atoning for our sins. That is the Gospel, and the Gospel – always effective –
plants and strengthens faith in Christ. But it also infuriates those who obstinately
oppose it. We can read hundreds of books where the great theologians (sic)
reject and insult the Atonement. They do not believe and they are not forgiven
or saved, no many how many degrees they have and how many honors they have received.
Look at the abundance caused by the Gospel. A handful of men
took the story of the Son of God across the Roman Empire, the known civilized
world at the time. The Gospel grew wherever they went, not in spite of
persecution, but because of persecution.
