I am a Jesus Pusher! “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). Jesus presents a significant contrast between “the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees” and the righteousness required to “enter the kingdom of heaven.” The scribes were scholars and teachers of the Scriptures and custodians of the Jewish traditions. The Pharisees advocated precision in the interpretation and performance of the Mosaic code. Theologically and philosophically, they seemed miles apart. The central problem of differences was “righteousness.” The Pharisees and scribes criticized Jesus for His liberal views of the oral traditions. Jesus consistently revealed the liberal position of the Pharisees and scribes concerning the law. Jesus established the standard of the Kingdom of Heaven as righteousness that “exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.” This standard is not a goal to which we should aspire; it is the beginning standard for entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Father filled Jesus, and Jesus viewed the Scriptures through the eyes of His Spirit. The scribes and Pharisees viewed the Scriptures from their self-centered perspective. In fulfilling the Scriptures through the fullness of the Spirit, Jesus moved into a new level of righteousness that the scribes and the Pharisees could not even consider. Jesus calls us to a new level. That new level is not one of “doing” but of intimacy with Him in “being.” What an opportunity we have! I am a Jesus Pusher!