The Pharisees prided themselves on their "good works"--i.e.,observing the law. But Jesus raised the bar so high that EVERY ONE "falls short of the mark" in PERFECTLY keeping God's commands, especially when it comes to loving God with all our heart!
Thank God--literally --that He sent us His Son to obey the law perfectly, and thus bear for us the penalty we ALL deserve because we can never perfectly obey it.
>> “The Pharisees prided themselves on their “good works”—i.e.,observing the law.” <<
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Spend some time reading the gospel of Matthew!
The Pharisees had zero respect for Yehova’s law, and obeyed no part thereof, substituting instead their own man made law, which Yeshua completely denounced, declaring that unless one’s righteousness exceeded the false righteousness of the Pharisees, one had no chance at seeing the kingdom.