Do you possess righteousness?  If so, what kind of righteousness do you have?  Jesus tells us that it matters. 

Matthew 5:20 (ESV)
²⁰ For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

When Jesus talks about our righteousness exceeding that of the scribes and Pharisees, He was primarily speaking of the doing of righteousness.  No matter how much a man claims that he is righteous, he is still out of favor with God if he is not living righteously (1 John 2:29; 3:7-9).  That does not mean that a person has to be sinless, but it does mean that he must walk in the light of God’s Word if he wants to be in fellowship with Him (1 John 1:5-7).

There are at least three ways that the doing of righteousness by the scribes and Pharisees fell short.

Their Righteousness Was Partial 

The Pharisees would stress certain parts of the Law which suited their tastes while ignoring other vital features.   This is the connection between verses twenty and nineteen of Matthew 5.  Remember Jesus said, “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven.”  The righteousness that God requires includes universal obedience, living by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.  In other words, there is no such thing as an insignificant commandment of God.  We cannot pick and choose which commands we want to keep and which ones it is okay to break.  That was the system of the scribes and the Pharisees (Matthew 15:1-6; 23:3, 23).

Their Righteousness Was to Be Seen of Men 

The scribes and Pharisees did not keep the Law because of a desire to please and glorify God.  They did it to enhance their reputation (Matthew 23:5-12).  Jesus condemned them, teaching us that the motives behind our actions are just as important to God as the actions themselves.  Whatever you do for the Lord, whether it be helping the needy, preaching the gospel of Christ, worshipping God, or anything else, make sure that your motives are pure.  Do not do anything just to be seen by men or to build up your own reputation.  Make sure whatever good works you do, are motivated by a fear of God (Ecclesiastes 12:13), a love for your fellowman (1 Corinthians 13:1-3), and most of all, a desire to glorify your Creator (Matthew 5:16; Colossians 3:22).  

Their Righteousness Was Only External  

This point is strongly associated with the last.  The scribes and Pharisees were men-pleasers; therefore, they did what they could to impress men, giving little consideration to the heart.  Thus, they had an apparent righteousness about them, but in reality, they were as dirty as an old pig wallowing in the mud (Matthew 23:25-28).  Hypocrisy may win some points with men, but it is not pleasing to the One Who matters the most, that, of course, is God.

What kind of righteousness do you have?  If it is anything like the scribes and Pharisees, you need to do better.  Let us all make sure that we not only do right but that we do it with a heart that is pleasing to God.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.