“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. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
Matthew 5:17-18

Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:19-20

Four Problems with the "Righteousness” of the Pharisees:

1. They prioritized the vertical while neglecting the horizontal.
   Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. -Matthew 23:23
2. They set aside God’s commands while pretending to fulfill them.
   You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! -Mark 7:9
3. They judged others harshly while judging themselves graciously.
   Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. -Matthew 7:1-2
4. They focused on the outside while overlooking the inside.
   Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. -Matthew 23:25-28

"Jesus doesn’t merely desire people who appear good, or even those who do good; He wants people who are good."
— Skye Jethani

Bottom Line‍

The way of Jesus involves a total transformation resulting in real faithfulness.

Action Steps

Prayer: Create some space to sit with Jesus and reflect on how Jesus might be inviting you beyond Pharisee-like righteousness:

• Where might you be prioritizing the vertical while neglecting the horizontal?  
• Where might you be setting aside Jesus’ teachings while pretending to fulfill them?
• Where might you be standing in judgment over others rather than loving others?
• Where might you be cleaning the outside of the cup but not the inside?

Practice: This week, pray The Jesus Prayer throughout each day as a way of inviting Jesus to transform you from the inside out.

The Jesus Prayer

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”