Doors and Gateways

The Old Water Gate - Exeter by Paul Collings

Psalm 118:19-20

Open to me the gates of righteousness;

I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord.

This is the gate of the Lord;

The righteous will enter through it.

How would you define righteousness. The dictionary expresses it as “acting in accord with divine or moral law.” 

Fred Beuchner put it this way. 

"YOU HAVEN'T GOT IT RIGHT!" says the exasperated piano teacher. The young pupil is holding his hands the way he's been told. His fingering is unexceptionable. He has memorised the piece perfectly. He has hit all the proper notes with deadly accuracy. But his heart's not in it, only his fingers. What he's playing is a sort of music, but nothing that will start voices singing or feet tapping. He has succeeded in boring everybody to death, including himself.

Jesus said to his disciples, "Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:20). The scribes and Pharisees were playing it by the book. They didn't slip up on a single do or don't. But they were getting it all wrong.

Righteousness is getting it all right. If you play it the way it's supposed to be played, there shouldn't be a still foot in the house.

What was it Charles Wesley wrote?

No Condemnation now I dread,

Jesus, and all in Him, is mine

Alive in Him, my Living Head,

And clothed in Righteousness Divine,

Bold I approach th' eternal Throne,

And claim the Crown, through Christ my own” 

― Charles Wesley

O Lord, I pray that my mind focuses on what is true, honourable and worthy of respect. I pray that whatever is right and confirmed by Your Word; whatever is pure and wholesome is what I fixate on. I declare that all things that are admirable and of good repute are at the centre of my mind. May all things that are praiseworthy be the foundation of my daily meditation, Amen.