the righteousness of Christ

"For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matt. 5:20

The scribes and the Pharisees were the "elitists" of their day, the people who had viewed themselves as accomplishing much when they looked in the mirror, and wielding high status within society. It made me think about where the hatred of Jesus ultimately stems from, because the only real person whose righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees is Jesus himself. People intrinsically / naturally long to find their own way through the dangerous minefield known as the world, driven to be self-sufficient and believing their works and achievements should justify their status in others' eyes along with their own. There are people who shun Jesus because believing in him means denouncing righteousness as a commodity.