Greater Righteousness

Text: Matthew 5:17-32

Psalms 103:6-14

“The Lord executes acts of righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. He revealed his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel. The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love. He will not always accuse us or be angry forever. He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve repaid or us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his faithful love toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him. For he knows what we are made of, remembering that we are dust.”

  1. Greater Righteousness Begins with the Heart (5:17-20)

  • Jesus didn’t abolish the law– He fulfilled it and deepened it
  • Not a focus on sin management but a heart transformation
  • The Pharisees lowered righteousness to behavior. Jesus raises righteousness to the heart.

  1.  Greater Righteousness Confronts Anger (5:21-26)

  • Surface Issue: Murder
  • Root Issue: Anger and contempt
  • Unresolved anger fractures fellowship with:
  • Others
  • God

  1.  Greater Righteousness Confronts Lust (5:27-30)

  • Surface Issue: Adultery
  • Root Issue: Lustful Heart
  • Jesus removes divorce as a weapon and protects marriage with a covenant
  • The same Jesus who raises the standard also removes condemnation
  • Radical Remedies that never work
  • Tear out the eye
  • Cut off the hand
  • Jesus is not calling for self-harm. He is calling for serious war against sin.

  1. Greater Righteousness Honors Covenant (5:31-32)

  • Surface Issue: Legal Divorce
  • Root Issue: Hardness of Heart
  • Greater righteousness is not achieved by Sin management.
  • It is produced by heart transformation.
  • And only Jesus can change the heart.