NOTES for Mat 18:11
The messianic ideas traditional for the Gospel era presupposed rather strict demands made on those seeking the messianic Kingdom. It was assumed that only the righteous would receive the right to enter there. And the Messiah Himself, of course, would choose only righteous people for His closest circle. There could be no place for sinners around Him. At the same time it was understood by itself that such righteous people exist. This is not surprising: righteousness in this case was understood in an exclusively religious context, as conformity to the norms and requirements accepted in the religious community, first of all the requirements of ritual purity. Ritual purity presupposed, of course, abstinence from sin. But everyone understood that there are no perfect people in the world.
Abstinence from sin presupposed observing the commandments given by God as far as this is possible for fallen man. But even here the measure of righteousness differed: some tried to fulfill everything scrupulously, missing not a single detail in the numerous moral and ritual prescriptions, while others limited themselves to the minimum. Those who fulfilled, as it seemed to them, everything exactly looked down on the rest, being sure that if anyone had the Kingdom guaranteed, it was they, the righteous.
But God, like the Messiah sent by Him, sees the situation completely differently. For God there is no difference between "great" and "small," "full" and "incomplete" righteousness. Righteousness is not a property of a person, but his state. And this state is determined by God, not by man. It is God's action that makes the righteous person righteous, not his own efforts. Of course, much is required of the person in this case too, but righteousness for a person is still possible only as God's gift. Therefore the Messiah comes into the world first of all as Savior, not as Judge. Of course, His very appearance in the world is already judgment.
Some accept Him, others reject Him. This acceptance or rejection determines a person's fate in eternity. But God does not want anyone's destruction. He sends His Son into the world not in order to condemn as many sinners as possible, but so that as many people as possible may be saved from the evil in which the world lies and enter the Kingdom. There are no sinless people, and for fallen people there is no sense in measuring themselves against one another by a righteousness that does not belong to them.
All the more because neither God nor the Savior sent by Him is in any way impressed by this righteousness. Likewise, the sinfulness of fallen man does not shock the Messiah: He knows what world He has come into and what people He will have to deal with. But He came not to judge these people, but to save them. For the Kingdom is for all who seek, not for the righteous alone. For the sake of the Kingdom even the most notorious sinner can set out on the path of righteousness. But righteousness that does not have the Kingdom in view is a spiritual dead end. A path leading nowhere.