For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. The righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees was extensive: detailed attention to the law's every provision, tithing of herbs (Matthew 23:23), extended fasting, careful prayer. How does anyone's righteousness exceed this? The answer lies in what kind of righteousness is in view: the scribes and Pharisees focused on external compliance; the righteousness Jesus describes in the antitheses that follow is the righteousness of the heart — the righteousness that addresses the root of sin (anger, lust, deception) rather than only its fruit. Romans 9:31–32 says Israel pursued righteousness through the law but did not attain it because they pursued it not by faith; the righteousness that exceeds is the righteousness of a transformed heart.

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