Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Much of the sales training I have had in my life centers around building trust. To build trust, we are taught to build a common platform on which to grow a business relationship. And in order to do this, we not only need to understand the urgent and technical needs of a client, but also what drives them — what they are passionate about. I should have a desire and a curiosity to understand my client's heart, in life and business.

I believe this is what Jesus is driving at in this passage. He ends it with a rebuke of the Pharisees for not having a righteousness that is complete enough. Their righteousness does not go far enough. Jesus talks about this further here: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23‬:‭25‬-‭26‬)

When we are using dishes, what is more important to have clean - the inside, where the food is we are about to eat, or the outside? It is clearly the inside, which keeps us from getting sick. So it is with righteousness — the heart is the start and the most important part! Jesus goes on in Matthew 5 to talk about motives, thoughts, and the heart condition regarding sin and what counts as sin.

So if the ones who prided themselves on keeping all of the technical requirements of the law are not righteous enough, who is?

To understand this in my head, and value it in my daily life, I must pay attention to the statement: “Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” In order to practice and teach, I must have a sold-out curiosity. Like a treasure hunter, I must seek out a trust relationship with God. And we cannot set aside a command or teaching when it is not convenient for us to follow. This does not please God.

Here are some good questions for me to regularly consider: What pleases God? What does he want me to do? How do I understand what drives him and what his heart’s passions are?

Then, I can build a relationship with him based on a common value system. When Jesus challenges his listeners here, he is challenging them to understand that the law is not a checklist, and righteousness is not a mere record of technical adherence to it. Instead, it comes from a heart that is after God’s own heart, and it is active; serving and loving those around them.

Lord, thank you for this great teaching I can apply to my life today. Legalistic righteousness has to go. Heart-connected righteousness is what pleases you! May I be curious enough to understand your heart desires and obey your commands in the Bible today!