Along the way, we’ve talked among ourselves about what happens when others hear us refer to righteousness —as if those who believe in Jesus are morally good people while those outside of him are not.
We probably self-describe like this because that’s the way the Bible speaks of us. We find it natural to think that if that’s the way the Bible characterizes us, then that’s the way we should talk about ourselves as well.
Makes sense doesn’t it.
As we’ve already noticed, however, the words righteous and righteousness can be easily misunderstood. That’s one reason I think it’s so important to think about the progression of wisdom and grace-based thinking found in what we’ve been calling Jesus’ Manifesto.
By the time our Teacher/King uses the word “righteousness” in his declaration, he has talked about the good fortune of those who have been brought low in the presence of God and others; brought to remorse over the wrongness of ourselves and our world; with the result of being ready to stop resisting the ways of a new spiritual and social order (Matt 5:3-5).
It’s at this point that Jesus calls blessed those who hunger and thirst for something that is not native to ourselves (Matt 5:6).
In the past we’ve talked a bit about this “righteousness.” We’ve mentioned that in the unfolding story of the Bible, this isn’t just a word describing moral purity. Rather it is used to represent the way our God graciously and mercifully goes to the help of those who don’t deserve his favor.
Imagine how wonderful it would be if others saw us as looking to do for others what’s been done for us–longing hungering and thirsting for ways far more loving, and helpful, and non-condemning than our own natural inclinations.
Help me test my thinking. Is there something subtly and wonderfully progressive here in this Manifesto? Or am I making a class in 101 Kingdom Thinking more complicated than it needs to be?
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