Measuring Righteousness
Christopher B. Harbin
Matthew 5:13-20
When I was in school, my parents told me I was to do my best at everything. It mattered little what grades I brought home. They just wanted my grades to reflect what I was capable of. They wanted them to reflect what I was learning and that I knew the material as well as could be expected. Many classmates were concerned only with passing a class. Passing or failing was a minor concern to my parents. What mattered was whether my work reflected well on what I could do, all I could do, the best I could do. What kind of grades are we seeking in regard to righteousness before God? How do we measure righteousness? What are we reaching for? How do we determine what is enough?
In last Sunday's text on the Beattitudes, we saw Jesus reinterpreting how we should define success in the Reign of the Heavens. Now he moves on to a couple of different concepts focusing on how well we practice what leads to that success. First of all, there is a purpose, according to which we are to live. Living according to this purpose is by definition being righteous. It is doing the work of justice. It is following the path of Yahweh. It is living in coordination with God's direction, orders, values, and purposes. Without attaching our lives to this purpose, our existence becomes pointless. We become tasteless and fit for nothing. We are to be engaged in bringing God's justice to bear on this world under the Reign of the Heavens, a justice in which the needs of all are satisfied.
Secondly, we should determine how well we are taking this divine purpose to heart. The Hebrew Scriptures have already set out essence of living under the direction of Yahweh. Micah establishes this as doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God. Deuteronomy tells us it is loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. Job indicates it is seen in how we treat the poor and unprotected. Genesis speaks of represe ...
Christopher B. Harbin
Matthew 5:13-20
When I was in school, my parents told me I was to do my best at everything. It mattered little what grades I brought home. They just wanted my grades to reflect what I was capable of. They wanted them to reflect what I was learning and that I knew the material as well as could be expected. Many classmates were concerned only with passing a class. Passing or failing was a minor concern to my parents. What mattered was whether my work reflected well on what I could do, all I could do, the best I could do. What kind of grades are we seeking in regard to righteousness before God? How do we measure righteousness? What are we reaching for? How do we determine what is enough?
In last Sunday's text on the Beattitudes, we saw Jesus reinterpreting how we should define success in the Reign of the Heavens. Now he moves on to a couple of different concepts focusing on how well we practice what leads to that success. First of all, there is a purpose, according to which we are to live. Living according to this purpose is by definition being righteous. It is doing the work of justice. It is following the path of Yahweh. It is living in coordination with God's direction, orders, values, and purposes. Without attaching our lives to this purpose, our existence becomes pointless. We become tasteless and fit for nothing. We are to be engaged in bringing God's justice to bear on this world under the Reign of the Heavens, a justice in which the needs of all are satisfied.
Secondly, we should determine how well we are taking this divine purpose to heart. The Hebrew Scriptures have already set out essence of living under the direction of Yahweh. Micah establishes this as doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God. Deuteronomy tells us it is loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. Job indicates it is seen in how we treat the poor and unprotected. Genesis speaks of represe ...
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