In todays text Jesus speaks as a prophet. He says to his disciples 'unless your righteousness goes deeper than the seeds of the scribes and the pharisees you will not enter the Kingdom. There are two major themes in the prophetic tradition. It reminds the people of the covenant of God's promises, God's intent, God's love and God's care. It reminds us of the human capacity of human beings to deceive ourselves. To be forgetful and to miss the point. Part of this can be how we use religion and devotion. The prophets were well aware of the people's potential, but especially, the leaders of the people. To use religious ritual, devotion and law to mask a life which is actually at odds with the covenant.
