[Ali Imran]

Jesus told His disciples, "Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt 5:20). The Pharisees were the most law-abiding people of Jesus' day, and what Jesus said was basically true, even if it wasn't the literal truth.

To be sure, the Pharisee wasn't unjust; he wasn't an extortioner, he paid his tithes, didn't commit adultery, never beat his wife plus he went through periods of fasting besides performing the daily ritual of prayer.

As we all know, the Pharisee was self-centered and felt superior to others, namely the tax collector praying nearby. He thanked God for making him different from the tax collector, but his sort of comparison is unscriptural. God doesn't compare us with others, and He doesn't condone this practice on our part, either.

Self-righteous people are so wrapped up in themselves that they degrade and disdain everyone else. Besides, the self-righteous Pharisee used a tailor-made set of rules to justify his righteousness and keeping a list of negative behaviours he didn't engage in, behaviors he believed reinforced his righteousness.

Trying to live a righteous life externally when we're not righteous internally will only result in us becoming "whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean" (Matt 23:27).  The focus must be what's inside. "All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean" (Mark 7:23).

In Matt, 23, Jesus arraigned the self-righteous religious leaders of His day, calling them "blind guides," "fools and blind" and "blind Pharisee." The keyword that characterizes them is 'blind,'' and self-righteousness could mean spiritual blindness and hardness of heart.

Jesus on the Mount confronts the issue of genuine righteousness which is determined by the condition of the heart. The Biblical definition of self-righteousness is attempting to establish one's own righteousness rather than relying on the righteousness God provides. "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."

Why is it "basically"? Only basically? If we go beyond basics, will it still be true?