The Danger of Self-Righteousness

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.” Matthew 23:27 (NIV)

If the “Beatitudes” of Matthew 5 are the “8 Blessings” then Jesus’ comments in Matthew 23 are the “7 Curses.”

The “blessings” of the Beatitudes begins with a promise to those who are “poor in spirit”…those who recognize their spiritual bankruptcy before God.  The converse of this blessing is the curse or “woe” that comes upon those who are self-righteous.  If you are not “poor in spirit” than you are in danger of being self-righteous.

Self-righteousness is a confidence in one’s own righteousness.  It usually looks at self and says, “Hey, I’m alright!  I’ve got all that I need.  I’m good enough, strong enough, and I like what I see.”  (Notice how much emphasis is on “I”!)  Self-righteousness usually looks down at others and says, “I’m better than you!  You don’t measure up to the standard that is ME!”  There’s always a gap between the “outside” and the “inside” among the self-righteous.  Appearances may look good from the outside but they certainly are deceiving because a good look on the inside exposes how UN-righteous is the heart.  What’s more, self-righteousness overlooks weaknesses!  Inconsistency plagues the self-righteous but they are oblivious to their shortcomings.

Fances de Sales, a classic (1500’s) devotional writer says this:  “Many persons clothe themselves with certain outward actions connected with holy devotion, and the world believes that they are truly devout and spiritual whereas they are in fact nothing but copies and phantoms of devotion.”

Here are some examples about which he writes:

“Everyone paints devotion according to his own passions and fantasies.  Someone given to fasting thinks himself very devout if he fasts although his heart is filled with hatred.  Much concerned with sobriety, he doesn’t care to wet his tongue with wine or even water but won’t hesitate to drink deep of his neighbor’s blood by detraction and gossip.”

“Another person thinks himself devout because he daily recites a vast number of prayers, but after saying them he utters the most disagreeable, arrogant, and harmful words at home and among the neighbors.  Another gladly takes a coin out of his purse and gives it to the poor, but he cannot extract kindness from his heart to forgive his enemies….All these individuals are usually considered to be devout, but they are by no means such.”

Self-righteousness puts confidence in our own abilities, is full of pride, ignores weaknesses, and lives inconsistently.  The answer to self-righteousness is the humility that comes from recognizing our spiritual bankruptcy, our powerlessness apart from God, our desperate need for God’s mercy and strength.  Cry out to God:  “Lord, have mercy on me a sinner!” and watch self-righteousness get blown away by the wind of God’s Spirit rushing to your aid.

Lord, have mercy!  Fill us with your Spirit,

Scott Corwin, Pastor

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