When we base our righteousness on our merits, piety, purity or holiness we inevitably get lost in trying to justify ourselves, rather than glorifying the God of Grace.
Jesus was (is) a threat to those who taught (teach) self-righteousness and use God's wrath as a tool to manipulate and dominate others. They had to question His authority, because what Jesus represented (represents) is quite different from what those who use self-righteousness taught (teach).
Transformation happens when we live the Agape Love that Jesus commanded. When that becomes our focus, active commitment on behalf of the other, even stranger and enemy, and not our own, personal salvation, then we are transformed as human beings and communities are transformed as well. Jesus taught Agape Love as a way of life for His followers in every aspect of living. It does not allow for ignoring the needs of others while focusing on one's own gain, not spiritually, politically, economically or socially. It is a different way of life for those who would follow Jesus by living what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled on how to live with one another in THIS PART of God's Kingdom, here and now.
Righteousness is faithfulness to Jesus and Jesus' Way. Faithfulness is living the Agape Love that Jesus taught, commanded and modeled for us in the world, and not focusing on our own salvation. Living Agape Love and Grace ARE piety for those who would follow Jesus. Purity is the consistent living of Agape and Grace in purely comprehensive ways in the world around us. Holiness is relying on God's Grace and being in relationship with the Holy, led by the Holy Spirit and being transformed in that Love and Grace day by day.
So, Jesus used those who were held in disdain by the "religious" to teach about faithfulness. The child who out of a strong will differentiates from the parent and openly defies, yet ultimately conforms to the parent's will on how to act in the world, is not the unfaithful one. The unfaithful one is the one who gives lip service to the authority, majesty, awesomeness of the parent (perhaps praising the parent all the way) and then does not do what the parent wills for that child to do. Those who seem less pious, pure or holy who live the Agape Love that Jesus commands may be looked upon with disdain by the "pious, pure and holy religious types", but are the examples of faithfulness that Jesus gives us in His Good News.
Perhaps this is what prompted the Gospel writer to report Jesus' words -
"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord' and do not do what I tell you?" (Luke 6:46)
... and...
"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 in heaven. One that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name (exhibit spiritual gifts), and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?" Then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.' (Matthew 7:21-23)
Righteousness is not personal piety, purity or holiness.
Our motive is not supposed to be personal salvation.
Faithfulness is living the Agape Love and Grace that Jesus taught, commanded and modeled.
Our motive is to Love God and Neighbor as we love ourselves, because it is the right thing to do for the world around us and is thus the will of God as we have that in Jesus - our goal is to FOLLOW JESUS in how we live in this part of God's Kingdom, here and now.
So, with regard to following Jesus in how you live what Jesus taught, commanded and modeled for us, as we have that in the Gospels -
Are you one of those who say, or one of those who do?
Pastor Jamie
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