Am I a righteous Christian according to Jesus?

Brothers and sisters, you may have come across a similar story in your life that an elderly lady told me. She said: “We were two siblings: me and my brother. Recently, when our now elderly mother fell seriously ill, he didn’t even show up at her bedside. And when she died, he was still asking for half of the support I got for the funeral. Tell me, where is the justice?”

One expects justice from people. Sometimes he doesn’t even get it. Let’s ask ourselves a few questions:
What kind of justice do I expect from people?
What kind of justice do I observe?
What kind of righteousness has our Lord shown us?

If we can answer the third question, we don’t have to answer the first two if we can accept the answer to them. Thus, what righteousness has our Lord shown us? All righteous ordinances should be anchored in the law. And indeed, the words of the psalm have not escaped your attention, “Blessed is the man that trustees in the Lord…” (Ž 40,5). We heard the law mentioned two weeks ago in the eight beatitudes. And that the Lord Jesus is serious about it is evidenced by today’s words: “Except your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 5:20). What is the righteousness of Christ? Is it possible to convict the Pharisees and scribes of unrighteousness? Those who tithed on dill, mint? Those who prayed daily, those who went to the temple, those who fasted, those who did not steal…? What more does Jesus want from us? Wouldn’t it be enough for him if we were as righteous as the Pharisees? Christians are to be followers of Christ, not followers of the Pharisees. If Jesus had acted according to the righteousness of the Pharisees and scribes, the world, the people, and we, every one of us, would have been punished for any little thing. And who would want to come into such a kingdom? Who would want such a boss?

What is the difference between the righteousness of the Pharisees and the righteousness of Jesus? The righteousness of the Pharisees can be compared on two hands. Both with a finger raised in warning. Instead, they were two chastening hands. But the hands of Jesus, the palms of Jesus are telling us: “Come to me, all you who labor and are weary, and I will strengthen you” (Matt. 11:2). Jesus’ open hands say, “I want mercy, not sacrifice” (Mt. 9:13). Jesus’ open arms offer, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt. 11:29). And we know that the palms, the hands of Jesus, form an open embrace, and in its center is a pierced heart. And who among the Pharisees had his heart pierced? The righteousness of the Pharisees and scribes had not a spirit, a spirit of love, but an eye for an eye… But beware! The Lord does not soften the Law; no, on the contrary, for He speaks even more strictly: “Except your righteousness is greater than the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees…” (Mt 5:20). Are these not stricter words?

What is righteousness, anyway? In the book Maturing in Love, Sullivan quotes, “Its foundation, and the foundation of a good, beautiful, and just life in general, is truth. But the truth that is not warmed by the warmth of the heart is truth betrayed!” (p. 119). We know that the heart’s energy, if I may call it that, is love. That is why the Holy Father, in the encyclical Onadragesimoanno, says, in Bl. Pius X’s memory: “Just as justice cannot take the place of love, neither can love to take the place of justice, for justice is born in the brain and love in the heart, for the thought appears in the brain, but the mind in the heart!” The difference is that Jesus invites us into the arms of love, not under the hand of the law that makes us fearful. Okay, you say, but how does that relate to our lives? We are called Christians. We profess to be Christians. We are Christians, after all! But do we also live as Christians?! We tell ourselves that the righteousness of Christ is kind and forgiving. The character of the Pharisees and scribes is interchangeable – an eye for an eye. Which do we adhere to more in life? For example, if someone tries to “trip our foot,” how many times have we forgiven them, or how many times have we wanted to trip them for it according to “righteousness” – both feet? The righteousness of the Pharisees knows no forgiveness. The right of Jesus is laced with mercy with forgiveness. The justice of the Pharisees is based on the relationship between the judge and the accused. The righteousness of Jesus is based on a relationship of love. And to this, St. Paul shows us the way: ‘What if I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not to love, I would be as tinkling metal and a clanging cymbal’ (1 Cor. 13:1). Now we understand, comprehend, and accept the Lord’s words and live them.

As did a lady who had a neighbor who was outwardly cordial towards her but who repeatedly slandered her in front of others. When she heard the gossip, she first wanted to run up and give her a good scolding, but then she calmed down. A few days later, she met her neighbor’s friend. She speaks to her and says: “I have a confession to make. I live next door to Mrs. XY, and I must tell you that she is a very nice lady and a perfect neighbor. I can’t tell you how glad I am to live next door to her. I consider myself very fortunate to be her neighbor and, more than that, to be her friend.” A few days later, the neighbor-helper introduced herself to our lady, and this is how she spoke to her: “I would like to be your good neighbor, your friend. Perhaps I have not always been so good to you as you tell about me. You will forgive me, and from now on, let us be good friends.” And not a word was said about the old gossip. And the two of them became great friends. (The Joyful Message, Year A, p. 138) Gee, what a move she made! Indeed, but what was there special? What was extraordinary was that our lady had to swallow something, but she turned it into the bread of love. The secret was that she knew how to forgive out of love.

Brothers and sisters, let us try and dare to be more merciful, kind, and considerate towards other people. Then we, too, can hope, desire, and even be almost sure that God will be gracious to us too, as a certain Bruckberger mentions in his book Maturing in Love, where he says: “I hope that at the Last Judgment God will be unjust to me. Yes, unjust, as only one who loves can be.” (p. 124). Lord, how beautiful is your justice! How beautiful are your words that teach us to live, forgive, our salvation, and our happiness? May we, brothers and sisters, offer the found righteousness of Jesus to our families. Then we will not hear of our families that children cannot agree, bear, and forgive each other even at the deathbed of their parents. No, we won’t hear that because Christ will visit our families. Christ with His merciful justice, justice of open arms, and justice of love.