“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6, NASB)
At this point in the beatitudes, we make a shift. We began by realizing what we lack, mourning our sinful state, and being humble before God and others as a result. The first three beatitudes centered around the painful realization of what we do not have. This fourth beatitude speaks of our pursuit of something more.
Hungering and thirsting
This terminology is significant to me. If God intended for us to stay in our state of grief and mourning over sin I imagine a better word to use would be “malnourished.” To use the words hunger and thirst denotes a desire, a longing. Now that we have awakened to the fact that we are empty and we have felt the sting of it, we realize what we are missing and begin to long for it. If you go an entire day without drinking anything at all, you will not be able to wait to get your hands on a glass of water. Likewise, once you realize you have gone your entire life missing what is necessary for salvation, you will be desperate for a drink of the living water that only Jesus offers. Only someone who is thirsty will desire to drink. Only someone who senses their lack of hydration will be thirsty. That is why Jesus started with the bad news. It ignites our hunger and our thirst.
Righteousness
What we are hungering and thirsting for is righteousness. Many Christians, upon hearing this word, immediately think in legalistic terms. They would say that righteousness simply means doing what is right. It seems to them like basic obedience. That would be the definition of right living. It is definitely a major part of righteousness, but it does not go deep enough. I would like to offer a very basic and simple definition. Righteousness is simply being right with God. It is not just a set of behaviors. It is a position, a status. By this definition, all true Christians are righteous, though they do not always act rightly. This is because Christ has credited His righteousness to us through His sacrifice. We have, through Him, right standing with God.
Righteousness, right standing with God, is the number one thing the world needs. It is the only thing that will save the world out of its trouble. All of the trouble in our lives and in our world is the result of sin. We can try to blame institutions, nations, politicians, family members, and any other thing we can think of, but until sin is done away with the world will not get better. Sin is our problem. This is because it is sin which separates us from God. It is sin which severs that relationship.
We were made for God. We were made to worship Him and be in communion with Him. Sin broke that. Now the world is reeling because people everywhere are out of place. We are not who we were meant to be, people in the presence of God. Righteousness is simply being rescued from that realm of sin, being restored to the Lord, and living in light of our redemption. This is what the world needs. This is what we all need.
“If every man and woman in this world knew what it was to ‘hunger and thirst after righteousness’ there would be no danger of war. Here is the only way to real peace.” (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
But how is it that we can obtain this redemption if we are poor in spirit? How can we be right with God if we stand guilty before Him in our sins? There is only one way.
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6, NASB)
The very Son of God, Jesus Christ, dressed Himself in our humanity. He walked this earth in complete perfection. He was tempted as we are tempted, but never sinned against God. He then gave Himself up, receiving the wrath of God in our place for our sins, died, was buried, and rose again. His was the only sacrifice acceptable to God to pardon our sins. Since He took the punishment for our wrongdoing we can now be given the credit for His perfect life. What an exchange! This is why we sing amazing grace. Confessing our sins, turning to Him, and submitting to His lordship is the only way to be reconciled to God.
They shall be satisfied
This is a promise. If you hunger and thirst for righteousness, seeking for right standing with God, you will receive it. Those who desire to be right with God above all else are given a promise that they will receive that very thing. We see this in 1 John.
“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9, NASB)
In other words, those who try to deny that they are sinners are fooling themselves. But those who recognize their sins and cry out to Jesus for forgiveness will receive it and be made righteous. This promise means that anyone can receive reconciliation with God. We are all sinners. Therefore, we are all just as desperate for salvation. No one is more deserving than another. So it does not matter what your sins are or how bad they seem. The promise is absolute. If you cry out to the Lord He will forgive you. All there is now is to go to His everlasting fountain and drink deeply. You will find satisfaction for your soul there.
If you are just now joining us, you can see the previous posts in this series here:
Introductory Thoughts on the Sermon on the Mount
Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit
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