Then the followers understood what Jesus meant. Jesus was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread. Jesus was telling them to guard against the teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.
Matthew 5:20 - Easy To Read Version I tell you that you must do better than the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. {\cf2\super [62]} If you are not better people, then you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition For I tell you, unless your righteousness (your uprightness and your right standing with God) is more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. American Standard Version (1901) For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. Common English Bible I say to you that unless your righteousness is greater than the righteousness of the legal experts and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Catholic Public Domain Version For I say to you, that unless your justice has surpassed that of the scribes and the Pharisees you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version For I tell you, that unless your justice abound more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. |
Then the followers understood what Jesus meant. Jesus was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread. Jesus was telling them to guard against the teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.
“If a person accepts a little child like this in my name, then that person accepts me.
The ax is now ready to cut down the trees. {\cf2\super [40]} Every tree that does not make good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
“Not every person that says that I am his Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven. The only people that will enter the kingdom of heaven are those people that do the things that my Father in heaven wants.
I tell you the truth. You must accept the kingdom of God like a little child accepts things, or you will never enter it.”
And it will be very hard for rich people to enter the kingdom of God! It would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle!”
It will be bad for you, because you are like hidden graves. People walk on them without knowing it.”
Many thousands of people came together. There were so many people that they were stepping on each other. Before Jesus spoke to the people, he said to his followers, “Be careful of the yeast {\cf2\super [221]} of the Pharisees. {\cf2\super [222]} I mean that they are hypocrites. {\cf2\super [223]}
I tell you the truth. You must accept God’s kingdom like a little child accepts things, or you will never enter it!”
This is what I mean: That old agreement judged people guilty of sin, but it had glory. So surely the new agreement that makes people right with God has much greater glory.
We have small troubles for a while now, but those troubles are helping us gain an eternal glory. That eternal glory is much greater than the troubles.
It allows me to be in Christ. In Christ I am right with God, and this being right does not come from my following the law. It comes from God through faith. God uses my faith in Christ to make me right with him.
Try to live in peace with all people. And try to live lives free from sin. If a person’s life is not holy, {\cf2\super [160]} then he will never see the Lord.