The Pulpit Speaks: March 7, 1959

An article written by my father, the Rev. C. Thomas Paige, as it appeared in the Tri-State Defender on the date shown.

“For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” — Matt. 5:20

We live in a society where most of us boast of our goodness. Many times, our goodness finds itself on trial. Many times in such instances, we turn the spotlight on other people and say to ourselves and to others, “Well, I many have my shortcomings but I’m better than so and so.” In the light of psychology we are trying to rationalize. Rationalization is a common thing among us today. In face of our shortcomings, we always try to place the blame on someone else.

The wife who has failed to live up to the expectations of her husband can always find consolation in the fact that she could have been a better wife if her husband had been a better husband. The child who fails in life places the blame upon his parents. This goes on time after time and age after age.

But in the final analysis, who can we blame? We can blame no one but ourselves. Those of us who are honest with ourselves know that our shortcomings are a matter of personal choices. We have chosen to take certain things or ways that we knew at the outset were contrary to good living.

This is not something that is new on the horizon. Years ago, Jesus looked at the self-righteous of His day and told them unless their righteousness exceeded the righteousness of the Pharisees and Scribes, they could, in no way, enter into heaven. People in the days of Jesus, as in the days of you and me, always wanted to point to someone else and say either to themselves or me, “I am better than so and so.” We cannot lull ourselves into a spirit of complacency by saying to ourselves, “I know that I am going to heaven and will enjoy the best things of life because I am a little better than John or Jack.” Our spiritual rewards will be granted only in proportion that we live our lives to the fullest of which we are capable.

When Jesus spoke, he was speaking in terms of actualities and realities. He expected those people to whom He spoke to live life at the highest of which they were capable. We are not fooling anyone. Many of us know that we pass up opportunities each day to say a word or commit an act for Jesus. On our jobs, in our homes, riding the buses, or whatever we do in life, many times many of us find ourselves failing to live up to the best that is in us.

The Pharisees and scribes felt that as long as man lived within the confines of the law – man-made law – he need have no fears. But when Jesus sees us, He sees us in an entirely different light and we become moral and spiritual beings wholly responsible to God. The whole thing amounts to just this: if we are no better than the worst people with whom we come in contact, we are very bad off.

If our appraisals of ourselves make us proud of the fact that we are so good, we are in a bad position. Every man I know has room – plenty of room – for improvement. God never intended that we should compare ourselves with those who are weaker than ourselves, but rather with His son, Jesus. What have we to gain by comparing ourselves with people who are in the same boat with us?

I was taught a long time ago that each man who leaves church should leave there in fear and trembling, wondering with great concern where he will spend eternity. The sermon each Sunday morning should make each of us take a stand by Jesus and see exactly how we measure up morally, spiritually, intellectually, socially and the like. I am sure that each one of us would be so disturbed that we would try, day by day, to be more and more like Jesus.

Today we need men who are striving to be like Jesus. Only in proportion that each of us will strive to be like Jesus will the anxieties and disturbances of this world vanish. That old hymn written years ago should express the sentiment for each of us: “Lord, I want to live for Thee, every day and hour — keep my heart, and keep my hand, keep my soul I pray, keep my tongue to speak Thy praise, keep me all the way.”