In today’s Gospel Jesus speaks of the need for our righteousness to surpass that of the religious leaders of his time. It is easy to think of the scribes and pharisees in the Gospels through the lens of history. We are quick to see their opposition to Jesus, His message and seeking to silence him. We don’t really see them as religious leaders.
Pope Benedict XVI wrote that the Scriptures are the living Word of God. Meaning they speak to us today. The situation Jesus is warning about is alive and well in 2025, not just among religious leaders but among all of humanity. Religion is often reduced to rules. Even among the faithful. Often when we examine our conscious and go to confession, we may go through a checklist and present the list of commandments we have broken. But the Christian faith is not primarily about rules. It is about a loving relationship with Christ.
Righteousness can be understood as living in ‘right relationship with God’. Certainly rules play a role, but they aren’t our primary concern. If we are living in right relationship with God, the rules are the fruit of that relationship. The greatest commandment we must keep before us: love the Lord with all our hearts, minds and souls and love our neighbors as ourselves. I may not have killed someone, but I did I gossip about them, hold them in disdain, treat them badly?
Living in righteousness is living in love with God, a total commitment of the heart and mind.
Living in Love with God 
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