Matthew 5:20

"For I say to you, that unless your justice should exceed that of the writers and expounders, you should in no way be entering into the realm of upward vision."  Holy Wind Living Breath New Testament very consistently translates "Pharisee" as "expounder."  The word is an Aramaic one whose etymology is from the word to expand or expound.  Throughout Authentic Teaching of Jesus, one will read of these expounders who had so much to say about the correct meaning of scripture and tradition.  So, today, there are many self-appointed defenders of orthodoxy who expound so eloquently (or not) on the one, correct interpretation of theology.  Jesus' challenge to those wanting to learn more of life: your commitment to justice must exceed that of the leaders of the religious establishment.  After all the expounding is finished, where has our sense of justice taken us?  If our justice does not exceed that of the noisy religious leaders, then we are not really entering into this new realm of a higher, upward vision of life.