Summary: As Jesus continues his Sermon on the Mount, we are presented with an increasingly troubling look at the human condition. Jesus says that only those who are more righteous than the Pharisees - notorious for their stringent adherence to the law - will gain access to the kingdom of heaven. And as if that wasn't hard enough, Jesus raises the standard! Following the letter of the law isn't enough; the spirit behind it matters, and inner transformation and heart change towards God and others are just as important as external obedience. But isn't this an impossible task? Thankfully, we're not on our own. Jesus is in the business of reconciliation, and even though our relationships with God and people get broken by our inability to meet God's standards, Jesus repairs those rifts on the cross and makes forgiveness and restored relationships possible.
