Tomorrow's reading is part of the Sermon on the Mount but comes after the 8 Beatitudes - which we will circle back to. Jesus is no doubt taking things to the next level, causing people to ask by what authority he can do this. For instance, he says, "I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven!"
One has to think of what the Pharisees and scribes in attendance thought of this. What Jesus is talking about specifically is not the general hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees, but their outward adherence to rules and tradition. The Pharisees had 613 of them they boasted about following, making it nearly impossible for the average Jew to have any hope. But these rules were all external - external washings, dietary restrictions, ritual observances, etc. Jesus was demanding internal goodness, not external show. In other words, their 613 external observances aren't enough to get into heaven, but loving your neighbor and caring for the poor will.
There's lots to this reading and we will tackle them Tuesday.
The next part of the Our Father is...
"Thy Kingdom Come"
This statement is a hinge, connecting God in the preceding statement to earth in following statement. This linkage is not by mistake. God’s Kingdom in Heaven is now also to be established on earth. This is the era that Jesus has come to usher in. It’s the meaning of the Gospel/good news. Jesus has come to remove humanity’s barrier (spiritual and even corporal death) between us and heaven, which will allow the Holy Spirit to come to us and assist us the rest of the way. In a sense, it’s like going back in time to Eden before the Fall, except this time we get to make our own choices. This era is needed because our free will must still play out. Some call this the era of the Holy Spirit. Those who choose God in this life will already have one foot in Heaven.
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