Righteousness That Goes Beyond Rule-Following
Daily Scripture
Matthew 5:17-20
17 “Don’t even begin to think that I have come to do away with the Law and the Prophets. I haven’t come to do away with them but to fulfill them. 18 I say to you very seriously that as long as heaven and earth exist, neither the smallest letter nor even the smallest stroke of a pen will be erased from the Law until everything there becomes a reality. 19 Therefore, whoever ignores one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called the lowest in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever keeps these commands and teaches people to keep them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 I say to you that unless your righteousness is greater than the righteousness of the legal experts and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
Jesus’ words may surprise you. Many Christians think the Old Testament is “all rules,” the New Testament “all grace,” and that Jesus did come to abolish “the law.” Scholar N. T. Wright cast light on how Jesus was fulfilling the law and the prophets, not wiping them out. “Israel’s whole story, commands, promises and all, was going to come true in him.” A way was opening up “to make God’s covenant a reality… changing behavior not just by teaching but by a change of heart and mind itself.” *
- The Old Testament prophets repeatedly said that God cares about the inner spirit driving our acts far more than any outer show of piety (see Isaiah 1:10–15; Jeremiah 6:20; Amos 5:21–24). Jesus hadn’t come to “do away with” the law but to apply it to the true source of both good and bad: our often-hidden inner self. When have you realized that your outward behavior didn’t match what was inside you? What specific area(s) of your life has Jesus transformed from the inside out?
- Verse 20 must have stunned Jesus’ hearers. How could anyone be MORE righteous than the Pharisees, who strictly observed every detail of the law? Wright said God’s “kingdom of heaven” was even then breaking in, and “those who want to belong to the new world he is opening up must discover a way of covenant behavior that goes far, far beyond anything the scribes and Pharisees ever dreamed of.” ** What’s the difference between dutifully obeying rules with an unchanged heart and having your heart transformed to want what God wants?
Prayer
Eternal God, you were with King David when he wrote, “You want truth in the most hidden places” (Psalm 51:6). You taught that same truth in the Sermon on the Mount. Transform my heart, not just my outward behavior. Plant your truth deep inside me. Amen.
GPS Insights
Denise Mersmann
Denise Mersmann, who serves as the Care Coordination Director for the church wide Care Central department at Church of the Resurrection, wrote today's Insights.
Growing up I didn’t have a lot of rules. I didn’t have a curfew, there were no limits on TV time (back then, TV was the only screen), I could cruise around my small hometown without having to check too often with my parents.
Reading that you might think that I had the freedom to be a wild child. I mean, after all, if there were not set detailed rules, how many things would I do that I shouldn’t?
If I was not told exactly what time I had to come home, how was I to know when to head that direction? If there were no limits on TV time, couldn’t I just grab some chips and settle on the couch for hours at a time? If I didn’t have to continually let my parents know where I was, I could adventure to places that I should never go.
While I wasn’t given specific rules, my Mom and Dad made it very clear what was acceptable behavior and what wasn’t. Their expectations set the boundaries for me to live within.
If it was 3:00 in the afternoon, but I was thinking about doing something that didn’t reflect our family values, then my curfew was about ten minutes before that! If it was midnight and I wanted to finish watching a movie with friends, I could stay until the movie ended.
If I wanted to watch TV, I could… if I had done my chores, finished homework and spent time with friends and family.
And my parents made it clear where it was okay to go and where I was not to be hanging around. I didn’t need to repeatedly ask where I could go because I already knew.
I didn’t have to have the “letter of the law.” I wanted to meet the expectations of two people who I loved, respected, and wanted to be proud of me. When given the chance, I was allowed to choose to do what was right.
You may be surprised to know that I was typically home long before most of my friends who had a curfew, I watched very little TV, and I spent most of my time at home or at my grandparents with friends hanging out, or at a friend’s home.
I was certainly no more “righteous” than anyone else, but I do know that the decisions I made were not because I had to. They were a show of love and respect.
When I think back I realize that my parents allowed me to do better. It gave me a chance to make my decisions based on my heart and mind.
I am so grateful that they gave me the opportunity to do the right thing, and to sometimes not do the best thing. Because of their faith in me, I learned to not just follow the rules because there were rules, but to live within the boundaries as a show of love and respect.
Right now, I am praying that my choices reflect my love of God and all His people.
© 2026 Resurrection: A United Methodist Church. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* Wright, N. T., Matthew for Everyone, Part 1: Chapters 1-15 (The New Testament for Everyone) (p. 41). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition.
** Ibid.
