“What’s Your Righteousness Level?”
Matthew 5:20

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Pastor Kevin Vogts
Trinity Lutheran Church
Paola, Kansas
Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany—February 9, 2020

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Do you know your cholesterol count?  A few decades ago, most of us didn’t even know what cholesterol is.  But, now it’s a number many people watch very closely.  It’s become a common question to ask: What’s your cholesterol level? 

Today’s Gospel Reading suggests a similar question.  Not about your physical health, but spiritual health.  Not about your earthly life, but eternal life.  “For I tell you,” Jesus says, “that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and scribes, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.’  The question is: “What’s your righteousness level?”  Is it good enough for God’s kingdom?

A few years ago a famous actress answered that question with regard to herself in an interview in “USA Today”:  “I should go to heaven, otherwise it’s not fair.  I haven’t done anything wrong.  My conscience is very clean.  My soul is as white as those orchids over there, and I should go straight, straight to heaven.”*

Like that actress, the Pharisees and scribes certainly considered themselves good enough.  If anyone entered God’s kingdom, it would surely be them.  For, both in their own eyes, and in the eyes of others, the Pharisees and scribes had a very high righteousness level.  Outwardly, they were considered the holiest, the purest, the most righteous of all.

But, Jesus says even their righteousness level is not enough. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’  But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. . .  You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’  But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.”  It’s not enough to refrain from adultery; to lust is committing adultery in your heart. It’s not enough to refrain from murder; to be angry violates the command “Thou shalt not kill.”

But there’s more: “If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”  It’s not enough to offer up good works.  God will not accept your outward holiness and acts of righteousness within inner holiness and righteousness.  

The righteousness level required for entrance into God’s kingdom: perfection.

“What’s your righteousness level?”  50%?  Not good enough.  75%?  Still not good enough.  Like Ivory soap used to advertise, are you 99 and 44/100ths percent pure?  Even that’s not good enough!  God requires 100%, total perfection.

Jesus gives an example of what it would take to make yourself perfect: “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. . .  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.”

Jesus is not actually advocating mutilation.  Jesus is telling the Pharisees and scribes and you and me just exactly what it would require to make ourselves righteous.  With this hyperbole he drives home the point that NO ONE is able to attain God’s standard of perfection, it is beyond the capacity of any human.  “You think you can make yourself righteous?” Jesus is saying. “Then this is how far you’d better be prepared to go!” “Cut it off and throw it away . . . It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” With this striking imagery Jesus drives home the point that making yourself righteous is utterly impossible.

“What’s your righteousness level?”  Not 99.9%; not 75%; not 50%; not even 1%.  Your righteousness level, and mine, is ZERO.  Scripture says simply, “There is no one who is righteous, no not even one.”  God knows our hearts.  He knows our sins and evil and wickedness.  He sees through the thin veneer of propriety we paper over our sinful thoughts, words and deeds.  God knows we are not good enough for his kingdom.

But, St. Paul says in 1st Corinthians, “Christ Jesus has become our holiness, righteousness and redemption.”  “What’s your righteousness level?”  Perfect, in Christ Jesus.

He did for us what we were unable to do: he lived a truly perfect, holy, God-pleasing life.  He came to take away our sins.  In him was no sin at all.  Yet he suffered and died, paying the wages of sin.  Suffering our punishment; dying as an atoning sacrifice for us.

By his blood, your guilt is paid; for the sake of his holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death, your sins are all forgiven you.  As. St. Paul says in 2nd Corinthians, “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not counting men’s sins against them.”  God does not count your sins against you; instead, through faith in Christ, God credits to you the righteousness of the Son of God.

“What’s your righteousness level?”  Perfect, in Christ Jesus.  Trust in him; he is your salvation; he bestows on you a righteousness which does indeed far surpass that of the Pharisees or scribes or any human: his own perfect righteousness.  As St. Paul says in Romans, “This righteousness from God come through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”

You will certainly enter the kingdom of heaven; not because of your own good deeds or merits, for your own righteousness level is zero.  But, you will certainly enter the kingdom of heaven because of Christ’s righteousness, bestowed upon you by the grace of God.

The book of Revelation describes you and all believers in heaven wearing white robes, a symbol of the righteousness of Christ, like a white robe completely covering your sin, making you perfect and holy in the sight of God, worthy to enter his kingdom. “What’s your righteousness level?”  Perfect, in Christ Jesus. 

Out of gratitude to God for your salvation, strive to live a life worthy of Christ, strive to glorify him with your Christian life and conduct.  As St. Paul says in Titus, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  It teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope-the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”

“What’s your righteousness level?”  Perfect, in Christ Jesus.

Amen.