So a few weeks ago I mentioned one of my favourite ‘80s movies, Footloose, and so this week I’m going to continue to age myself and bring up another 80s favourite… Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. And it really does age me because this year is its 40th anniversary… which makes me feel very old! Now if you don’t know, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is a classic movie about skipping school…which I do not recommend to anyone… Stay in school! But, there’s a scene in that movie where the principal is complaining that Ferris is a bad influence and how he wants to bust Ferris to tarnish his reputation. His secretary, Grace, tells him that that’s going to be tough because Ferris Bueller is very popular and everyone adores him. And then she gives him the reason they adore him…
“They think he’s a righteous dude”.
The word “righteous” in the ‘80s became a slang word for cool, awesome, excellent. Does that fit with the Biblical definition of righteous?… maaaybeee… Will I always start my messages with an ‘80’s movie reference?… maaaybeee…
So today we’re going to take a look at the word RIGHTEOUS!
There’s a verse in Jeremiah where God defines his own character:
Jeremiah 9:23-24
This is what YHWH says: “Let no wise man boast of his wisdom, nor let the mighty man boast of his might, nor a rich man boast of his riches; but let the one who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am YHWH who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on the earth; for I delight in these things,” declares YHWH.
The word boast, in Hebrew, is hallal… which is the root for hallelujah: Praise Yah. Praise YHWH. We talked about this a few weeks ago. Hallal means praise. Here the translators have decided to use the word boast instead of praise. So what it’s saying is: don’t praise your own wisdom, might and riches. If you’re going to praise yourself, praise the fact that you know God’s heart, and that you act, to the best of your ability, just like Him… you show lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness. Your actions are love-filled, you seek justice for everyone of all opinions, shapes and sizes, and you are righteous. But here’s the thing… we understand love. We kind of understand justice. But what is righteousness? Can you define it? It’s one of those Christian-y words that we say all the time. We sing it in our hymns. But if someone asks you, “What does righteousness mean?”, what would you say to them? Take a moment. Think about that.
What is your answer to the question: “What is righteousness?” I’m hoping, after today, you’ll have an answer (if you don’t already)!
I think, on the whole, that society is rather confused about the word. Let’s take a look at some contemporary author quotes about righteousness:
“Condemning others as bad or sinful is a way to feel righteous. Such a feeling is a powerful mood alteration and can become highly addictive.” ― John Bradshaw
Hmmm… does being righteous mean condemning others? In a similar way Mark Manson says:
“People get addicted to feeling offended all the time because it gives them a high; being self-righteous and morally superior feels good.” ― Mark Manson
Fantasy Sci-Fi writer Glen Cook says:
“More evil gets done in the name of righteousness than any other way.”― Glen Cook
Is there a connection between evil and righteousness? Is righteousness dangerous? In 1955 computer scientist John McCarthy, the man who coined the term “Artificial Intelligence”, had this to say:
“Self-righteousness has killed more people than smoking.”
It appears that society is uncomfortable with the word “righteous”.
For many people, righteousness is assigned to people who act holier than thou or self-righteous… people who point fingers and see themselves as better than someone else. They put themselves first, even at the expense of the welfare of others. But this is not how the Bible sees righteousness.
Others think that the word righteous just describes people who are morally and ethically superior. Like we’re all trying to get the best marks on some Good Behaviour Report Card, vying for the “most righteous in your class” trophy. But this, also, is not how YHWH sees His people or how the Bible defines righteousness.
For some, to be righteous means to be morally right at all costs… and if that means tearing other people down, so be it. This is, also, not how the Bible describes righteousness.
Righteousness, in Hebrew,is ts’daqah/tsedeq. And from a Biblical perspective it is pretty much the exact opposite of those quotes and definitions. They are defining self-righteousness. Righteousness is other-focused. It’s all about …relationships. Righteousness means having “right-relationships”.
Do you have a right-relationship with God? And do you, in turn, have a right-relationship with the people around you? And finally, do you have a good and right-relationship with the natural world around you? Having “right-relationship” with God, fellow humans, and the created planet means expressing the qualities of what God sees as good (tov) to all of God’s creation on the planet and beyond. To be righteous is to have a good, interactive, love-centered relationship with God and all of God’s creation… anything that grows on this planet and in the universe, you are to have a good and right relationship with it.
YHWH is the ultimate example of righteousness. He loves, cares for, encourages growth in all His creations.
1 John 2:29
If you know that He [YHWH] is righteous [Greek: dikaios], you know that everyone who practices righteousness [dikaiosynen] also has been born of Him.
We are YHWH’s children; YHWH is righteous, and we are to reflect His righteousness! When we are not righteous (when we do not have right-relationships with God, the people around us, and the planet we live in then…) we are not representing Him… we are not bearing His name.
God specifically said that we are to be righteous:
Isaiah 42:5-9
This is what God YHWH says, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: “I am YHWH, I have called You in righteousness [v-tsedeq], I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, and I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon and those who dwell in darkness from the prison. I am YHWH, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to idols. Behold, the former things have come to pass, now I declare new things; before they sprout I proclaim them to you.”
Notice the Paradise-Garden imagery: before they sprout, I proclaim them to you. God wants to start a revolution of righteousness… where we all do right by each other! Can you imagine such a world?
God wants us to place a top priority on relationships forged in kindness and servitude to each other: opening eyes, freeing prisoners, being a light to all the nations.
Humans were exiled out of the Garden of Eden, out of Paradise (which we talked about a few weeks ago), but we’re supposed to live like we’re still there and we do that by being righteous, reflecting YHWH’s relationship-love to everything on the planet: humans, animals, nature.
So, how do we know what having right-relationship with God and right-relationship with fellow humans should look like? Well, in the Old Testament we are given a guide: It’s commonly called The 10 Commandments.
In Hebrew Ten Commandments is a’seret ha-d’varim. Literally it means “Ten Words”. Ten sets of words, spoken by God. They are:
- Do not place other gods before YHWH
- It breaks your relationship with YHWH
- Do not create and worship carved idols
- It breaks your relationship with YHWH
- Do not bear God’s name falsely
- It breaks your relationship with YHWH
- Remember the Sabbath; keep it holy
- It strengthens your relationship with YHWH
- Honour your mother and father
- It strengthens your relationship with family
- You shall not kill
- It destroys relationships
- You shall not commit adultery
- It destroys relationships
- You shall not steal
- It destroys relationships
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour
- It destroys relationships
- You shall not desire what is not yours to have
- It destroys relationships
These are ten foundational things to do that keep your relationships healthy. They make you righteous. They make you have “right-relationships” with God and with other humans who bear God’s image.
Here’s something interesting that I learned from the Bible Project Podcast (which I highly recommend, btw). If you struggle to read your Bible, can I suggest that you listen to this podcast. It might be the catalyst you need to find the passion for reading scripture. Most recently they did a whole series on The 10 Commandments, (or the 10 sets of words) given by God to Moses, and they pointed out that the 10 Commandments echo the 10 words of God in Genesis 1. In Genesis 1, there are 10 creation commandments spoken by God. He speaks 10 sets of words to set up the universe.
- “Let there be Light” (v.3)
- “Let there be an expanse, separating waters from waters” (v.6)
- “Let the waters gather in one place and dry land appear” (v.9)
- “Let the earth bring forth vegetation” (v.11)
- “Let the lights distinguish between day and night” (v.14)
- “Let the waters and sky fill with living creatures” (v.20)
- To the sea creatures and sky creatures: “Be fruitful & multiply” (v.22)
- “Let the earth bring forth living creatures” (v.24)
- “Let us make humankind, in our image” (v.26)
- To the humans and land creatures: “Be fruitful & multiply” (v.28)
Then in verse 29, YHWH basically says: “Look what I have given you. It is yours. Now look after it, and be kind to it.”
What is YHWH saying?… Have a right-and-good relationship with everything I’ve created. Do you remember what the text says after every day of creation? God saw that it was… GOOD… all of it.
In the creation account God speaks 10 sets of words which explains how the universe came to be and then He described how we are to be good and kind to the earth and look after it… we are to be righteous supporters of God’s good creation. Then, in the 10 commandments given to Moses, we are given the blueprint on how to be specifically righteous towards God and all the humans who populate the planet. The 10 Words given to Moses exemplify righteous living in the world that YHWH created. God created the earth and it was GOOD; now it’s our turn to be GOOD to the earth and all of creation within it.
So, the OT gives us this righteousness “guide” and then the NT gives us a living example of righteousness… in Jesus.
Jesus said:
Matthew 5:17-20
“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. For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
What do we know about the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees? They were known to place rules and regulations above human needs. They placed rules above mercy; tradition above compassion… and Jesus was having none of it. Let’s take a look at what’s going on in Matthew chapter 12:
Matthew 12:1-8
At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. Now when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath!” But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions— how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath, and yet are innocent? But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here. But if you had known what this means: ‘I desire compassion, rather than sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
Oh, there’s so much to discuss here, but we don’t have time to unpack it all. Basically Jesus is telling them that their black and white legalistic soapbox is faulty. Also, I love how Jesus subtly offends them: “haven’t you read Scripture?!” The Pharisees thought of themselves as Scripture Experts and Jesus is asking them if they’ve even read it. And then He quotes the prophet Hosea:
Hosea 6:6
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
Remember the verse we started with?… Jeremiah 9… YHWH said: Let the one who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me. And those who know Me are like Me, showing Love, Justice and Righteousness (right-relationships).
It’s all about knowing God (having a right-relationship with God) and showing mercy (having a right-relationship with people)… Relationships should always take higher priority than the demands of traditions, rules and regulations. If someone is hungry, feed them… regardless of the ‘rules’.
Matthew 12:9-14
Moving on from there, Jesus entered their synagogue, and a man with a withered hand was there. In order to accuse Jesus, they [the Pharisees] asked Him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” He replied, “If one of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and it was restored to full use, just like the other. But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.
They’re so wrapped up in legalism that they’re willing to blatantly ignore the 6th commandment: thou shall not kill. There was no righteousness in them. They lost sight of the plot. They forgot who they were supposed to be. They were made to bear God’s Image and now they want to kill the Image of God. How far they fell…
The Scribes and Pharisees were being the opposite of righteous. They were being self-righteous. They cared less about the man and his suffering, and more about being legally right and morally superior in the eyes of their peers. Lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness took a back seat to their desire to be right. They pointed fingers at others to elevate themselves.
Folks, there are still an awful lot of Pharisees in the world today.
Theologian J.C. Ryle said:
Beware of self-righteousness in every possible shape and form. Some people get as much harm from their “virtues” as others do from their sins.
Rules and regulations aren’t a bad thing. They may make our lives easier… they give us guidelines for clean living…
…but, truth be told, following rules won’t get you into the Kingdom of Heaven. And rules not based in righteousness are good reasons for rebellion.
I think of people who have hidden illegal house-churches in Communist or Theocratic Islamic countries. They’re not following the rules, but they are seeking a right-relationship with God despite great risk.
How about people who hid Jews in their homes in Europe in WWII? They ignored the rules and instead lived out righteousness (right-relationships) by showing mercy and compassion to the vulnerable at great risk to themselves.
And then there are people who stand up against the Big Business Empire who skirt around environmental laws and do excessive damage to the planet in order to garner vast amounts of wealth. Those who stand up for the welfare of this planet are being righteous in the best of ways… having a right-relationship with this beautifully created world.
Having a right-relationship with the earth- the plants, the orchards, the animals, the oceans- is a Biblical calling. The Bible (among other things) is an environmentalist book. The first mandate given to humans by God:
…care and protect the planet; help it grow and flourish. We are to have right-relationship with the earth. Recycle, buy re-used, grow a garden, give the planet a helping hand in any way you can. It’s a Godly commandment.
Right-relationship with the animals on this planet means showing compassion for the creatures of this world. Is our meat ethically sourced? Do we treat the creatures of this planet well?… Are we supporting wildlife habitats… not tearing them down and building over them.
Right-relationship with humans means that we always care and protect the underprivileged: the orphan, the widow, the poor, the ostracized. We are to lift up those who have fallen down. We are to pray for our enemies, forgive those who have wronged us. We are to always put an effort into mending relationships. And that means taking the first step to invite healing.
And finally, we need to have a right-relationship with God… it’s the foundation of all right-relationships. When we have a healthy relationship with YHWH we cannot help but have a healthy relationship with all of YHWH’s creation!
It is good and right to break rules that are not based in righteousness. Rules that are created to break down relationships… rules that hurt people, or the planet; rules that try to cut people off from having a relationship with God. It’s okay to break the rules when rules try to break down right-relationships. Because, above all, God requires us to have right-relationships with all of His creation.
God expects us to be righteous, because God is the epitome of right relationships. When we truly bear God’s image, we reflect what He looks like… we reflect God’s righteousness!
Righteousness should be a big topic for the 21st Century. There’s a lot of corruption in this world…. And it’s all about being self-righteous. Putting yourself first. Lifting yourself up and at the expense of others… even if that means destroying relationships to do so. It’s inevitable: there’s going to be casualties in your determination to be the richest, the strongest, the most popular!
There has never been a righteous Authoritarian regime, because right-relationships are never the goal of those governments.
The authoritarian corrupt politician does what’s good for themselves at the expense of the people they are supposed to represent. They are as far from righteousness as you can get!
Jesus said:
Matthew 13:43a
“The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”
Those who practise right-relationships (to God, to nature, to each other) will be like sunshine to the Kingdom. What does the sun do? It places a spotlight and helps things grow. There’s a good definition of righteousness: everyone deserves a spotlight; everyone deserves to be seen and loved… and they all deserve to be nourished and supported and given the chance to grow. And everyone means “all of God’s creatures”… everything that can grow, should grow surrounded by God’s love… and we should be the ones to give it! Be righteous! Have right-relationships! Do it. Show it. Live it.
Next week we’re going to look at one particular king in the Old Testament, Solomon. Was he a righteous king? We’ll find out!
Until then, let’s close with a final passage from Matthew 25:
Matthew 25:31-40
“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left. “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You as a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.’”
Essentially Jesus was saying, You acted righteously to all these people in need… and so, you were righteous to Me.
But do you recall what Jesus said to the others? If you don’t mind me paraphrasing, He said:
“Go away! You did nothing for those around you, so you did nothing for Me. You were not righteous, you were self-righteous… self-serving… and now you’re lost because you cannot save yourself.”
Charles Spurgeon said:
The greatest enemy to human souls is the self-righteous spirit which makes men look to themselves for salvation.
When your whole life is all about you… about serving yourself, you’re going to find yourself very much alone.
Do you see that when you are being “righteous” (being right-relationship focused) everything else falls into place. When you are righteous you are also being holy (set apart)… others will get drawn to your self-sacrificing kindness. By being righteous you are also being just (by treating people properly, regardless of gender, race, or social standing). When you are righteous you are also being faithful (following what God wants you to be), and you are also being loving (by living a life of mercy, compassion and servitude to others).
Righteousness, having right-relationships with everything on the planet, is the fruit of the Tree of Life. When you are righteous you bear fruit. When you’re righteous you are living like Paradise People, here and now.
And that can be a powerful witness to this world that seems hell-bent on idolizing power and wealth and notoriety at the expense of the weak, the less fortunate, and the forgotten.
To follow YHWH is to be in a committed relationship… not just with God, but with all of His creation. A good and right-relationship. Are you up for it? Can we all say, “Amen?”… AMEN!
