SOME THOUGHTS ON MATTHEW 5:20

Matthew 5:20 “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.” 

This passage really stuck out to me today.  It stuck out for two reasons.  First, because of what it does not say.  And secondly, the ambiguity it leaves open for interpretation.

The Pharisees were known to be strict adherents to the Judaic law.  This would lead one to believe that the Pharisees would rank high on the ladder of righteousness.  Therefore, it would be hard to surpass their righteousness.  Of course, one could make the argument that Jesus was being sarcastic and downplaying the importance of the Law.  Yet, if we go back to verse 17 we find that Jesus states the following: “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.”

Interesting that with the “Law” Jesus mentions the “Prophets” as well.  The Prophets who perpetually spoke out against injustices and perhaps this is what the Pharisees were missing. Because of the Pharisees’ myopic view of the law that strives to have everything on the surface look as it should, while neglecting the deeper issue of injustice that surrounded them they lacked righteousness. 

This takes us back to what first stuck out to me with this passage—what it does not say.  I think many in our church today would more expect this passage to say, “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the poor who are too lazy to get a job, the prostitute that whores herself, the drug addict that refuses to turn his life around, the rapists and murderers that steal life from others, and the terrorists who blow up buildings, people and themselves, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”  For many of us this sets an easy standard to make it to heaven or for what it means to live righteously.  Ironically, however, it is those listed in the re-quote that Christ came for—he came for all, but if you read the scriptures closely it is apparent they are for who he came for the most.  It was Shane Claiborne who pointed out that much of early Christianity grew because a former terrorist and Pharisee by the name of Paul recognized his acts of injustice, repented and started following the One he persecuted.

RAISED RIGHT IS RIGHT ON

Waterbrook Multnomah has been graciously providing me with books free for more than a year now.  The only stipulation is that I provide them with a fair and honest review of each book.  Alisa Harris’s Raised Right How I Untangled My Faith From Politics is the most recent.  I have put off writing this review for several weeks now because I am conflicted about what I have to say about it. 

All of the books that I request from Waterbrook are non-fiction and many of them tend to lean politically left or right.  When this is the case I have noticed a pattern with my reviews.  Since I tend to lean left, the books that lean left get a good review and the books that lean right get a negative review.  This is far from objective and the lack of objectivity troubles me.  So there you have somewhat of a disclaimer—because the book leans left the review will be favorable. 

With all of that said, I am looking forward to the book that leans left that I do not like and the book that leans right that I absolutely love just to be able to show that I can, in fact, be objective.  Raised Right, despite the irony with the title, however, is not that book.

Raised Right is Harris’s memoir—something quite strange or unique for someone who, from what I can gather, has yet to begin her thirties!  Despite being young, Harris spews forth wisdom that many twice her age lack. 

The story depicts Alisa’s life growing up in a family that was both religiously conservative and politically active.  “I had been picketing since before I could walk.  Before my parents moved to Oregon from New Mexico, they had bundled me into a carrier twice a week and hauled me and their signs to the local abortion clinic, where they paced the road across the street, praying as pregnant women walked in and empty women walked out.” (p. 13) Then the story moves on to Alisa’s college life and ends shortly after college. 

Through the transitions from home to college to post-college life Alisa weaves a narrative that demonstrates a gentle and graceful transition or reinterpretation of the conservative values that she was taught as child.

While I did not grow up in a religious home I did grow up in a conservative one.  Alisa’s story truly resonates with me.  I did not become a follower of Christ until my first year of college and my conservative upbringing certainly influenced my worldview and how I viewed my relationship with God.  At some point, like Alisa, I became disgusted with lack of love, mercy, grace and compassion as well as the hubristic adherence to religious dogma so often displayed from the religiously conservative right.  And again, like Alisa, this caused me to begin re-evaluating what it means to be a follower of Christ.

I believe that Alisa and I are both in similar places and I believe that is why I loved this book so much—it helped me feel like I am not alone.  Moreover, it reinforced the notion that it is okay, good in fact, to challenge the status quo.

For anyone raised in a religiously conservative home who struggles with its ideology I highly recommend this book!

GOING BENEATH THE SURFACE WITH MATTHEW'S GENEALOGY

Most of us who read or have read the bible at some point complain to someone about the genealogies.  I have done this on numerous occasions.  However, the more time I spend reading the bible and the more I pay attention to details the more things just come to life.  Today I started reading Matthew and I was stunned by the language of its genealogy in the first chapter--two verses in particular:

vs5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, vs6 and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,

Of course, I am no bible scholar, but wow!  It is rare that women particularly mothers are mentioned in genealogies and here we have three mentioned in two short verses.  The first is a prostitute, Rahab, that hid Hebrew spies; the second is a Moabite woman, Ruth, who demonstrates endearing loyalty to her mother-in-law after her husband dies. 

Interestingly, the genealogy mentions both Rahab and Ruth by name yet Bathsheeba is not mentioned by name.  Rather, the genealogy states, “David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife.”  This language completely draws the reader to David’s sins of not just adultery but to Uriah’s murder which David arranged.  And all of this is to show the genealogical line that Jesus comes from—a genealogical line that is far from perfect—a genealogical with questionable a past to say the least, with perhaps the exception of Ruth.  However, Ruth could still be considered an outsider being a Moabite woman.  Moabites were excluded from the assembly of worshippers being descendants of an incestuous relationship between Lot and one of his eldest daughters.

Writing this reminds me of the Steve Taylor song, “Jesus Is For Losers”.  I remember buying the album and seeing the song title and being offended.  Then I listened to the song and said to myself, “Man, this is brilliant!”  I leave you with the last couple of versus:

Just as you are
Just a wretch like me
Jesus is for losers
Grace from the blood of a tree

Just as we are
At a total loss
Jesus is for losers
Broken at the foot of the cross

Just as I am
Pass the compass, please
Jesus is for losers
I'm off about a hundred degrees

Just as I am
In a desert crawl
Lord, I'm so thirsty
Take me to the waterfall