Your Righteousness Must Exceed That Of The Pharisees & Saducees Series

Therefore Jesus shows: 1) THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES 2) THE RIGHTEOUSNESS GOD REQUIRES, 3) THE RIGHTEOUSNESS GOD GIVES

1) THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES

Like Ezra (Ezra 7:12), the earliest gramraateôn (scribes) were found only among the priests and Levites. Theirs was a profession, a job. They recorded, studied, interpreted, and often taught Jewish law. Although there were some scribes among the Sadducees, most were associated with the Pharisees.

Israel had two kinds of scribes, civil and ecclesiastical. The civil scribes functioned somewhat like notaries, and were involved in various governmental duties. Shimshai (Ezra 4:8) was such a scribe. The ecclesiastical scribes devoted their time to study of the Scriptures, and came to be its primary interpreters and articulators.

Yet, as Jesus repeatedly made plain, they failed to understand what they studied and taught. With all their exposure to God’s Word, being superficially immersed in it continually, they missed its profound spiritual intent.

The influential, rigid Pharisees were particularly confident in their system of righteousness. Theirs was a sect. The Jews had a saying, “If only two people go to heaven, one will be a scribe and the other a Pharisee.” Those men were completely convinced that God was obligated to honour their devoted and demanding works. In comparing themselves with the standards they had established-and especially in comparing themselves with the average Jew, not to mention Gentile-they could not imagine God was not favourably impressed with their goodness.

Yet, like many serious and capable scholars throughout the history of the church, the Pharisees of Judaism were also blind to the meaning of the words they diligently studied and discussed.

• Before we get too comfortable with ourselves and right off the bat distinguish ourselves from these two groups consider possible parallels:

o Do you ever tell yourself: I’ve been a Christian for many years. I’ve done so much work for the kingdom. I’ve been to the mission field, taught children, taught classes, I know God so well. I’m not like my neighbour, colleague at work who doesn’t care about God. He sure will face judgement.

o Although intellectually we can reject self-righteousness, it is easy unless we continually check ourselves, to slip into subtle pride.

Quote: One commentator said that Religion is what someone does with their own solitude. If you want to know what you really are: look at your thoughts and desires in private. Are you the same person in public that you are in private? If not, then your righteousness may be that of the Scribes and Pharisees.

The standard of righteousness that the scribes and Pharisees taught and practiced, and the one we have to guard ourselves against, differed from God’s righteousness in several important ways. It was A) external, B) partial, C) redefined, and D) self-centered. In these four warnings I will spend just about all my time.

A) EXTERNAL

First of all the scribes and Pharisees concerned themselves entirely with external observance of the law and tradition. They took little consideration of motives or attitudes. They thought, no matter how much they may have hated a person, if they did not kill him they were not guilty of breaking the commandment. No matter how much they may have lusted, they did not consider themselves guilty of adultery or fornication as long as they did not commit the physical act.