The true righteousness is a heroic virtue. It is founded in strong convictions of truth and duty, and is willing to sutler, if need be, for the truth (Mt 510-13) xhe truly righteous, the sons of the king- dom, have a saving, illuminating power. They are the world's 'salt' and 'light.' 'They preserve the world from moral corruption, and they shed abroad upon men the light of love and helpfulness (Mt 5"'"). Again, the true righteousness is not a destructive, but a constructive principle. The righteousness of Christ's kingdom will not break with the past. It will conserve all that was true and good in OT religion, and build upon it. It requires that the earlier and imperfect system of
Judaism should not be rejected, but fulfilled. Iti true ideal content is to be develo|iud out of the limited and pro\ isional form in wliicli it had been apprehendea in earlier times, into its destined universality and spirituality. The Divine law which has been revealed is to be observed and taught in its essential spiritual content, and not merely in its outer form, and thus the righteous- ness of the sons of the kingdom will 'exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees' (Mt 5"-»).
Then follow several Illustrations of the true righteousness. The law prohibiting murder had commonly been taken merely as a prohibition of an overt act. Not to kill another was to obey it. But Jesus places right and wrong, not in overt acts, but in inner motives. He who cherishes murder and hate — the passions from whicli murder springs — is, morally speaking, a murderer. P'rom hate murder would spring were there no outward constraint preventing it. But he who would com- mit an overt act of sin but for an outward re- straint, has really committed it in his heart already (Mt S-'"-"). The same principle holds good respecting sensual passion. The impure thought, the carnal desire, is itself, in God's sight, the act of adultery. Every etl'ort must be made, every necessary self-denial endured, by those who would be truly righteous, to break the power of evil thought and to exclude impurity from the heart (Mto-''-'-).
Three further illustrations are given. The first concerns truthfulness. The Jews had been accustomed to make a fictitious distinction be- tween oaths taken in J"'s name, which they had regarded as sacred, and other oath.s, \\hich they had felt at liberty to violate. Jesus discounten- ances not only this false distinction, but all such profane appeals to sacred names or objects. Those who confirm their assertions and promises by such oaths thereby betray the fact that their simple word is not regarded as binding, and thus show themselves not to be really truthful. The simple assertion should be enough. The honest man's word is as good as his most solemn oath. Be absolutely truthful, says Jesus, and the meaning and occasion of these irreverent oaths in common use will completely disappear (Mt 5^'^). The next Ulustration respects revenge. The OT civil law of retaliation — which, at best, was a rude kind of justice incident to an undeveloped ethical code — was commonly construed as a permission to take private revenge. This disposition to do the oH'ender an injury like that which he has done, Jesus discountenances. Better suffer injustice. He says, than resort to revenge, which springs from hate, and is wholly incompatible with love (Mt 3'^-"). The third illustration deals with the contrast of love and hate. From the OT maxim, ' Tliou shalt love thy neighbour,' many had drawn the inference, 'Thou shalt hate thine enemy.' Then, by making 'neighbour' mean ' friend,' it was easy to find in the maxim a justifi- cation for hatred towards personal enemies. This inference Jesus utterly repudiates. The right- eousness of the kingdom recjuires that we should love all men ; that we should seek the good even of our enemies. We may not hate even those who injure us. The gospel has no place for hatred, because it is essentiaJly un-Godlike. God hates no one ; He blesses all, even the wicked. So must the man do who possesses God's righteousness. Love is the essential principle of moral perfection, and hatred is the opposite of love. This lova which finds its perfect exemplification in the character and action of God is the law of the Christian life. The Christian ideal is complete- ness of love ; conformity to the moral complete-
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ness of God'8 own perfectly loving character (Mt
Tlie next group of passages illustrates liow men are to 'do their righteousness.' The first illustra- tion is drawn from alms-giving. Benoticence is not to be o.stentatious. Tliose who give alms to lie seen of men must do so from sellish motives. Thej', indeed, obtain their appropriate reward, but it is not the Divine approval (Mt 6'"''). The next example is prayer. A false righteou.sne.ss leads men to ])erlorm their devotions in public that they nuiy create the impression that they are unusually pious. The true inner righteousness dictates that men pray in secret. Nor is prayer to be based on the idea that God is a reluctant Giver whose favour is to be won by the wearisome repetition of the same wish or cry. God is, on the conlrarj", a willing Giver who knows all our wants in advance, and onlj- desires that we be willing to receive His mercies. A simple sincere request is therefore enough. Then follows the model prayer illustrating the true spirit, as well as the simple form of prayer (Mt 0^''°). Jesus then shows that fasting performed with a mere semblance of humility and sorrow is no part of true righteousness, but that it may be such when practised unostentatiously from real inward con- trition (Mt e'"-'*). Then follows a series of striking contrasts between the worldly and selfish epiiit and supreme concern for the spiritual life. Tlie latter must be placed first, and must sub- ordinate to itself all other interests. Every life must have one main direction. There can be but one supreme choice. That should be made central in life which Ls truly central. Other things, so far as needful, Gud will supply. Seek, then, first His kingdom, and His rigiiteousness ; and all those things shall be added unto you (Mt 6'*"*').