Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
– Matthew 5:6
Eating is such a part of who we are. It is an everyday ritual that often determines the schedule of our day. From a physiological standpoint, eating means life. When we don’t take in nutrients and the right nutrients at that, we will eventually succumb to malnutrition and death. The hunger drive that is wired within us is one, if not the most physical drives that we experience.
However, hunger as well as eating goes way beyond a biological need and response. We have a natural craving and our taste buds draw us to flavorful and different foods. The variety of different foods make meal time exciting and more satisfying. Grocery stores are packed with isles and assortments of different flavors all with the ability to cause us to hunger for something special, something satisfying, something comforting. There is no shortage of restaurants either. From down home American food, to gourmet cuisine, to numerous ethnic cafes, we are drawn to what will satisfy our hunger in that moment.
Mealtime has another aspect to it as well. It is a time of social gathering. Gathering around the table with family and friends goes all the way back to the creation of mankind. Sharing a meal with someone is so much more than simply meeting a biological need. It produces a common relational experience that many times memories are made from.
Jesus’ use of the words hunger and thirst in Matthew 5:6 establish in us something that we all can relate to. Everyone eats and drinks. Everyone knows the importance of food. Everyone, from the newest baby on, understands hunger pangs that are only satisfied with mealtime. This is why so many of Jesus’ complex teachings were available at a basic level to all who heard it. Because they are relatable. Yet there was always something that prompted those He taught to move from a basic physical understanding to a spiritual reality.
Righteousness is the diet the believer must choose. This we are to have a craving to do what is right in God’s eyes, mirroring His perfect character through submission and humility, striving to follow His teachings and the leading of the Holy Spirit. We are to resolve to become a disciple of Jesus and just like how food is necessary to keep our earthy body alive, the Word is necessary to keep us spiritually healthy. Not only will our spirit be nourished, but we will also gain a sound mind and body.
However, similar to our grocery stores and restaurant choices, we too have a choice of what we feed our spirit. There are many things out there that seek to garner our attention. Like refined sugars, there are those things that attempt to entice us into a choice that will always leave us needing more as well as feeling sick. The old adage very much holds true here, you are what you eat.
God has blessed us richly with the food He has provided us. It is the only option that we truly hunger and thirst for. It is only God’s Word that has the nutrient density to draw us to the righteousness of the Lord.
When faced or tempted to grab a quick meal or satisfy an unhealthy craving, unhealthy spiritually that is, God always has a healthy table set for us.
Matthew 5:6 is part of the Beatitudes. These are more than mere suggestions, they are the blueprint to living a blessed life in Christ. In each of them, we have a required obligation on our part to be able to experience those things that God has already provided. Similar to grace, we must be the ones to apply the teaching of Jesus into our life, just as it is each one of us that must decide what we will hunger and thirst for.
Jason Metz, Lead Pastor
