Indeed I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and experts in the law, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 

Matthew 5:20 

Our texts for worship this week repeat a common theme. We have been called to be a kingdom of priests. We have been compelled by the truth that God has delivered us from sin, death, and the devil. We are now called to share this message of redemption and release with the world around us. So, then, why did I choose to focus on this verse from Matthew for our consideration this week? The reason is simply this. If we do not have the correct heart, we will not share Christ with others. This was true of the Pharisees, and it will be true of us, too. 

Jesus warns us that if our righteousness does not surpass that of the Pharisees, we will not be fit for the kingdom. Therefore, we will not be fit servants for building the kingdom either. So what was the righteousness of the Pharisees? It was a deep and abiding self-righteousness, an inner conceit that they were acceptable to God because they were superior to base sinners. They felt no desire to share the good news of the coming Messiah with others because if others were not worthy of joining their elite group, they would surely not be worthy of entering the courts of the Almighty God. 

Sisters and brothers, we have to be wary that we do not join the throng of the Pharisees and the experts in the law, We, too, could become conceited. We, too, could be led by our sinful nature to believe that we are superior to others, that because God chose for the message of salvation to come to us that we are somehow by nature superior to those who have not yet been touched by the gospel. If that happens, we will avoid base sinners. We will shun them when we are in their presence. We will withdraw into the presumed safety of our own people. And we will cease to be a royal priesthood who declares the praises of the One who called us out of darkness. 

How are we, then, to avoid the righteousness of the Pharisees. We can only do so if we seek the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. We must realize that we have no righteousness of our own. Outside of the light of Christ’s righteousness, our own good works are seen by the Father as mere fetid rags. But within the light of Christ’s righteousness, won for us in His obedient life and willing death, we have a new righteousness. This alien righteousness, outside of and apart from our works, compels our hearts to share this good news of righteousness in Christ with even the most unrighteous. Christ’s righteousness imparted to us makes all the difference. Blessings as you serve in the royal priesthood. 

Frank Van Brocklin 

Principal/Staff Minister 

Coming up in the near future at Immanuel Lutheran School 

❖ Sunday, February 5 K-8 Students Sing at 8 AM Service 

❖ Monday, February 6 Early Release, Bus Service Provided 

❖ Monday, February 6 100th Day of School Celebration