Hunger for Righteousness and Be Satisfied
by David Matranga
2,000 years ago, Jesus sat atop the Mount of Olives and delivered the Sermon on the Mount, an incredible, life-changing sermon that includes the Beatitudes, with well-known lines like, “Blessed are the peacemakers” and “Blessed are the meek.” Too often, however, we can hear these words of Jesus and file them away as just poetry or great literature without diving into the meat of what He’s saying. As A.W. Tozer once said, “We write biographies of such as these [Luther, Augustine, Wesley] and celebrate their fruit, but the tendency is to ignore the root out of which the fruit sprang.”
As we go into today’s meditation from the Word of God, I want to remember that the Beatitudes are an invitation. Jesus gives us this invitation by laying out directions and offering us the chance to fulfill them.
Today, I want to focus on Matthew 5:6, the part of this famous sermon where Jesus says:
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Defining Terms
Righteousness means doing that which is acceptable to God, and satisfaction is the fulfillment of a desire. One thing we can know from this verse right away is fundamental to the Christian walk – if you hunger and thirst for righteousness, God is going to make a way for it to happen. We can always choose to do the right thing.
But this verse brings up another idea as well – that righteousness can be an appetite, with the strong implication that we can learn to hunger and thirst for it. Since appetites lead to action (remember your last food craving?), it’s important that we understand how our hearts are turned toward desires.
Learning to Love
Some appetites require no work to develop. Let’s take the convenient example of food: I have never had to teach my kids to ask for candy, for example. Sweets came naturally to their liking. As an adult, I personally have to fight against this appetite because I want to eat healthy. Spiritually, there are some appetites that don’t necessarily require too much effort. As new believers, most Christians have a natural desire for worship, for seeking God’s presence.
Other appetites happen over time. I really like Brussel sprouts and asparagus now, but when I was younger I detested them. I don’t know that this really required effort on my part – my tastes just changed as the years went on. Spiritually, this might happen as well. Over time, you might find that you prefer hanging out with godly, wise people who are going to challenge your faith over your old group of friends. The change here can take time, but it still feels natural.
Some appetites come as we try things for the first time. Growing up, there were a lot of foods I never tried because they were never in the house. So when I grew up and tried Thai food, sour cream, avocados, etc. for the first time, I found a liking for tastes I had never known before. Spiritually, this is like praying for someone in public for the first time, or beginning to tithe, starting to volunteer, sharing your faith, or raising your hands in worship. You try it and find a liking for it.
And then some appetites are acquired. Coffee is one of the most popular beverages on the planet, but most people don’t like it the first time they try it. It takes effort and repeated exposure. The questions are, “Is it worth it?” and “Do I want it?” Then we start tasting it, learning about it, and growing an appetite for it.
Reading God’s Word was an acquired taste for me. It was hard at first. It didn’t come as a natural habit for me, but I knew it was worth it, and I wanted to do it more. Over time, I acquired the taste.
How to Yearn for Righteousness
If we want to be people who hunger and thirst for righteousness, I think there are three things we need to do:
- Understand that the only true satisfaction comes from God.
Thou madest us for Thyself, and our heart is restless, until it rest in Thee
- St. Augustine
Developing a taste for coffee might be worth it for you because of the fellowship you find with other coffee drinkers, or for the energy and focus it can bring to your work. Developing an appetite for righteousness is worth it for a number of reasons, but chief among them is this is the only way we ever really find satisfaction – and righteousness can’t be achieved apart from God.
- Seek Fulfillment Daily
In personal fulfillment, practice praying, worshiping, and doing devotions. In external fulfillment, serve others, evangelize, and walk as a light in this world, asking yourself in every situation what God would have you do.
It’s important that we focus on today so that we don’t get discouraged with the weight of years to come. Do what’s right today, and let tomorrow worry about itself.
- Guard Against Counterfeit Righteousness
As humans, we can even mess this up. Doing good for selfish reasons or claiming something worldly as righteous (eg. the prosperity gospel) will not satisfy. Make sure that you have godly friends and mentors – and that you are correctable. Read God’s Word daily to stay on track, and recognize the promise of Matthew 5:6 when it comes.
We all want to be satisfied in our lives. Thankfully, the Lord gives us the key to finding it. Now let’s build those appetites.
For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.”
- Romans 10:11
