Jesus calls attention to a clash in values when he compares his values to those of the Pharisees. Jesus says, “I belong to what is above; You belong to this world.” He said this because the Pharisees determined the value of all matters by appearance alone. They had little or no appreciation for anything with lasting value. Thus, their focus was not on pleasing God, but on gaining material wealth, social status, and political power.
For the Pharisees, enough was never enough. Jesus thus warned them that their way of life driven by worldly values alone will result in spiritual death. They will die in their sins and remain beyond the reach of Jesus. By the time they realize their error, it will be too late. They will look for Jesus, but not find him.
The fundamental error of the Pharisees was their failure to understand who Jesus is and the purpose of his mission. Despite the revelation that Jesus himself made in that regard, the Pharisees did not believe or accept that Jesus was the one sent by God, and that following him was the way to life in the fullest sense (Jn 5:26). They failed to perceive that the only motivation and guiding value for all that Jesus did was to carry out the will of the heavenly Father (Jn 10:10; 6:38-40). No wonder the Pharisees did not bother to learn what was pleasing to God, or that doing so was even possible (Eph 5:8-10).
Nor is it any wonder that the Pharisees failed to adopt the fundamental value embraced by Jesus—love of God and love of neighbor. This dual principle was not something new introduced by Jesus, but a basic commandment already contained in the Old Testament (Dt 6:5. Lev 19:18). The Pharisees were scholars who specialized in interpreting and applying the Torah to daily life. Thus, they would have been familiar with this dual principle as a guide for authentic worship of God. Their failure compounded their predicament.
As a result, the Pharisees failed to see that love of God and love of neighbor are an essential aspect of justice. They did not appreciate that the justice of God is not a matter of settling wrongs, but a matter of restoration for those who suffer the lack of a basic necessity. This is the whole point of the sermon on the mount. The beatitudes are a guide for virtuous living that will bring about such restoration—mercy, peace, and a longing to correct injustice.
The prophet Micah makes this same point when he claims that the Lord requires justice and a love of kindness for right living (Mic 6:8). For Micah, right living is the only way “Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; justice and peace will kiss each other. Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and justice will look down from the sky” (Ps 85:10-11; 89:14).
In practical terms, we honor the justice of God through service to his children and his creation. This is the consistent theme of all that Jesus preached. He informs his followers that he came to serve, not to be served. He tells them that they must not lord it over others, that the greatest among them must be the least, the one who washes the feet of the others.
These are the values of Jesus rejected by the Pharisees. Jesus is the obedient Son who is one with the father and does the father’s will. He tells his followers that they must live in the same manner. Those who love Jesus will keep his commandments, and he and the father will abide in them. Their treasure for following Jesus in this way is not silver or gold, but an everlasting life of peace and joy in an intimate relationship with God.
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