You asked

how can we seek a 'righteousness that exceeds' in our current social and ethical challenges?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Matthew 5:20

“For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.”

This verse comes from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, an extensive teaching session likely delivered in Galilee. He is speaking to his disciples and a larger crowd, outlining principles for living as part of God's new community.

What specific attitudes or actions do you feel called to re-examine in light of this challenge to exceed conventional understandings of goodness?

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Luke 18:9-14
Jesus tells a parable contrasting the self-righteous Pharisee with the humble tax collector, illustrating a different kind of 'righteousness' in God's eyes.
Romans 3:21-24
Paul speaks of a 'righteousness from God' that is given through faith, distinct from righteousness earned by law-keeping.
Micah 6:8
The prophet asks what God requires: 'to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God,' which points to the heart of what 'exceeding righteousness' might entail.

Ask your own follow-up