Better Than Fairy Tales
By Lauren Stein, Session Elder
“For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” Matthew 5:20
Growing up, my all-time favorite Disney princess was Belle. On the surface, I related to her love of reading that provided an escape from her provincial life. But beyond that, I admired Belle’s courage to love the Beast, ultimately, transforming him back into his human form. In a splendid light show, the Beast magically transforms, as beams of light shine from his fingertips and toes. If I’m really honest, Disney stories deeply impacted my understanding of the world around me. As a child, this scene illustrated transformation. But as I’ve grown, I’ve had to ask myself, does true and lasting transformation really happen as magically as it does in the Disney movies?
In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus outlines how His disciples, both then and now, can experience transformed lives. I am struck by His words to the crowd in Matthew chapter 5 verse 20. Talking about the fulfillment of the law, Jesus says, “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” Though Jesus is full of grace and love for those He encountered, He is not afraid to speak out against the religious leaders of that time. At first, this seems like an odd statement, especially given Jesus’ disdain for the Pharisees’ self-righteousness. But Jesus isn’t calling us to have more of the Pharisees’ self-righteousness. Jesus is calling us to surpass them by having a righteousness propelled by transformed hearts. This transformation is so deep that the individual is no longer controlled by the same destructive patterns.
And while there are certainly wonderful stories of miraculous transformations that occur almost overnight, when I look at my own story, that is not what I see. Jesus and His grace and love have, without a doubt, transformed my life, but it didn’t happen in a magical light display. It happened slowly and sometimes painfully as I worked with Jesus through my destructive habits and thought patterns. Allowing Him to work in my heart has transformed the way I endure life's curveballs, handle conflict and communicate in truth. And if I’m wise, I’ll never stop allowing Him to transform my heart. The truth is that this is just the beginning, and it’s better than fairy tales.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the way You are relentless in pursuing my heart. You deeply desire for my heart to be transformed, and I am ready to do the work with You. Soften my heart to the changes You are calling me to make. Make me aware of where You are at work and how I can join You today in Your Kingdom work. Amen.
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