THE SAVIOUR'S STANDARD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
THE accepted definition of righteousness is right doing; in connection with this we think it embraces holy principles and affections of the heart. Our Lord after treating upon his intentions concerning the law in Matt. v, 17-20, then introduces a comparison to show how high a standard he would set up for his followers. "For I say unto you that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." Verse 20. Those who read in the New Testament in regard to the Pharisees are no doubt apt to form wrong conclusions with respect to them, and think that the Pharisees were really the worst class of people that could be found. But if we rightly apprehend, the Pharisees were the very ones who must be selected when we look for the ones whose lives were most blameless, and who were most ready to believe all that was written in the law and the prophets; in other words a most orthodox class of people, whose views were most in accordance with the word of God. The apostle Paul claimed to be a Pharisee. He did not mean by this that there was no difference between his views and theirs, but that their leading doctrines were those to which he could subscribe. However deeply the Pharisees are censured for their hypocrisy, many of them were over-scrupulous and exact, and our Lord does not rebuke their minute observance of the commandments, but only pointed out their faults. In Luke xviii, 11 we read that the Pharisee prayed as follows: "God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers," &c. We have reason to believe that he uttered in this case what was strictly true. When he said that he was not an extortioner, he stated that which was correct as far as the letter of the law was concerned; and even this is going a great way, and is perhaps more than many can say in truth who profess the religion of Jesus Christ. But the Pharisee was not an over-reaching man, he was upright, and fasted and paid tithes, that is, a tenth part of all that he possessed. When therefore our Lord selects the Pharisees as those whose righteousness must be exceeded by those who would be saved, it shows us that the standard which the Saviour erected is of a very high character. What then was the fault of the Pharisee who thanked God that he was not as other men? It appears to be this: He trusted in himself; he did not know that he was a sinner and had no righteousness with which to appear before God. The Pharisee had no just idea that God looked into men's hearts, and that he judged of them by their motives. Nevertheless what is recorded with regard to this Pharisee should give us to understand that they were men who were very careful how they lived and acted; and our Saviour once said of them, "All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do:" they said what was right; yet he adds in verse 23, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint, and anise, and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith; these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." The substance then of our Lord's denunciation against the Pharisees appears to be this: that they went to a certain extent in obedience to God, but left off other things that were of great importance. And he does not say that we need not do what they have done; but that this ought to be attended to, and that the other should not be undone. So when our Lord says, "Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees," it is saying that unless your righteousness goes beyond theirs, unless you go beyond them in entering into the spirit and reality of the religion of the Bible, you cannot hope to be saved. If this is the just view of the subject, and we think it is, it follows that our Lord has set up a very high standard for us to come up to. He says not, except your righteousness come up to the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, &c., but except it exceed theirs, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. There will be no exceptions in the case, but every one will be judged by the standard here set before us. And it comes in with peculiar force in the connection in which it is placed. The Saviour first set before us the importance of keeping the commandments of God, and he had been speaking in the fore part of the chapter of the traits of character which men must possess to be entitled to the blessings of their heavenly Father. And then lest we should form a conclusion that if we are only upright in our general life that is sufficient, he takes up the law of God and solemnly enjoins obedience to that. He then gives us to understand that the keeping of the commandments will amount to something; for he says that whosoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. But unless our righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, unless we go beyond them, however careful they might have been, and possess a righteousness that surpasses theirs, we can in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. May we never forget that it is incumbent upon us to exhibit to the world in our lives what the religion of Jesus is, and exemplify the high standard he has set before us.