Quotes about Righteousness
To those who pursue righteousness Jesus promises "they will be filled," and the word "filled" means "sated," "slaked," "bloated," or "filled to overflowing." The metaphor expresses absolute and utter satisfaction: they will find a kingdom society where love, peace, justice, and holiness shape the entirety of creation.
— Scot McKnight
Morality is about a heart that is right before God.
— Scot McKnight
Many in our day climb under the moral shade of Matthew 7:1 to take the supposed high road in saying, "I'm not the judge." Those who take this supposed high road may be missing the whole point of Jesus' words: sin is sin, and one cannot follow Jesus and turn a blind eye to sin. What Jesus is calling us to here is not the absence of moral discernment.
— Scot McKnight
It is one thing to be judgmental; it is entirely different to say greed is wrong or that sexual sins are wrong, and saying so is not judgmentalism.
— Scot McKnight
Not only that, Jesus finds all the "wrong" people on God's side and all the "right" people against God.
— Scot McKnight
It is far too easy for Protestants to take the sting from Jesus' words by thinking what Jesus was really saying was not that his followers had to do more, but that they were to trust in the righteousness of Christ while the scribes and Pharisees were trusting in themselves. Or to say the Pharisees were externally righteous only. For this view, "surpasses" is really about kind of righteousness and not degree.
— Scot McKnight
Jesus is probing into the heart of his followers to ask them if they value life more than kingdom and righteousness.
— Scot McKnight
Fourth lesson in Bible reading: we are challenged to be better than nonfollowers. Followers are marked by a greater righteousness or by more righteousness. (Just what that more will look like can be found in the antitheses of 5:21—48.)
— Scot McKnight
We stand with Calvin when it comes to the moral compass: Jesus "means that however difficult, arduous, troublesome or painful God's rule may be, we must make no excuse for that, as the righteousness of God should be worth more to us, than all the other things which are chiefly dear and precious.
— Scot McKnight
Is is always time to do the right thing.
— Martin Luther King, Jr.
I do not wish any reward but to know I have done the right thing.
— Mark Twain
It is never wrong to do the right thing.
— Mark Twain