I took a personality test in which my scores showed me to be a classic Traditionalist. My scores revealed my default thinking is more black and white on issues and being a rules follower. I suspect I may lean towards thinking as the religious rulers of Jesus’ day.
These religious leaders championed a form of righteousness (right living) that is still quite common today. They achieved their right living through self-discipline or determination. It was their expression of obedience to God. But Jesus said this about their righteousness. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:20 (ESV) The Message translates that verse this way. Unless you do far better than the Pharisees in the matters of right living, you won’t know the first thing about entering the kingdom. It is crystal clear; God is unimpressed with righteousness manufactured by human inventiveness. It is also clear if a person constructs their hope of entering Heaven based on their right living, they will NOT make it to Heaven.
The religious leaders had asked Jesus “by whose authority” (key word here) did He drive the money changers out of the temple? (Luke 20) Jesus uses an allegorical parable to picture the type of righteousness God does accept. He tells of a landowner (representing God’s authority) who went to great lengths to build an ideal vineyard. He rented it out before going on an extended trip. Upon returning, the landowner discovered his renter had claimed ownership of his vineyard, as shown in the renter’s physical abuse of the owner’s servant.
Righteousness (right living) was a symbol used to validate authority. The religious leaders had fabricated an elaborate system of right living and used it to validate their authority to control the people. In the parable, it meant they used their lookalike righteousness to validate their ownership of the vineyard. This mindset is justified their physical abuse of the landowner’s servants.
The defining difference between God and man’s lookalike righteousness is its source. God’s righteousness represents who He is, not just His behavior. He imbeds this part of Himself as a gift into the heart of the person who becomes a Christ follower. In contrast, God considers man-fabricated righteousness as filthy rags (literally, menstruating woman’s rags – Isaiah 64:6). It may look holy but was like fool’s gold, worthless. (Roman 3:10-16) God only honors the righteousness His Spirit plants within a person and detests whatever is created by our efforts.
You don’t have to understand the symbolism in Jesus’ parable to know this. You and I are misguided if we place living in just the right way over a passionate love for God. Jesus’ encounter with the rich young ruler clarifies that. (Mark 10.17-22) In that light, you must ask yourself, what is the real reason I try to live life in a right way? Am I putting out the effort in order to impress others or earn the favor of my family, friends, or community? Or am I doing it out of my passion to be an apprentice of Jesus? The religious rulers did the right things but only to impress others (play out their role as religious leaders) so they would receive their praise. They memorized the Bible and had admirable knowledge of it. Yet they totally missed the point of God’s message in it. Unfortunately, today many are just like the Jewish leaders, more in love with living right than in passionately loving the fullness of God. That is shown in how much they reflect on the Bible or otherwise spend intimate time with God. Where might you find yourself on this continuum? As I look back, at times I have been more concerned about living righteously than in learning more about the Bible God I claim to love so much.