Luke 10:25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" 27 And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." 28 And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live."

29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" 30 Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" 37 He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise."

I mentioned on Sunday that this beatitude has a strange grammar to it. Literally we would have to read it, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for a complete and perfect righteousness.

Hungering for that kind of righteousness means you have seen the forest for the trees. You stop wanting to "improve yourself" by adding a little Christianity along with taking your vitamins. When you hunger for "the righteousness" you want to be a better person. You want to be a complete person. You no longer just want God to come into your psychic house to clean the floors and fix the leaks. Now you want Him to make you into a castle.  You no longer worry about the lines where sin begins such as what words you can say, how much money you have to give, whether you promised to keep your word or just spoke idly.

Now you see the picture of who you want to be. You want to be honest, pure, transparent, brave, gracious and loving. Once those become your desires, you never have to worry about the law again. I can assure you, your pastor will never discipline you for being too honest, or too loving.

Today, ask God to give you a vision for complete righteousness.