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“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

Matthew 5:6

Have you ever been so hungry you could hardly think straight? Some people refer to this as being “hangry.” It’s when your personality changes to that of anger rather than calm, simply due to being hungry. Hunger is an important feeling because it is a signal that we need to eat. Our body needs fuel. Hunger typically propels us to do something about it. It’s not something you can easily ignore for any length of time. That’s why in trying to create a mental correlation we can understand quickly, Jesus used the reference of hunger for the next kingdom value we are looking at. He said we are blessed when we are hungry and thirsty. Now, He didn’t mean when we hunger and thirst for food and drink.

Rather, He said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6). Those who live with the kingdom value of desire for God’s ways, His rules, and His righteous standards will experience satisfied lives. Appetite is one of the great indicators to a doctor of your health. Consistent loss of appetite is an indication of a much deeper problem. That’s why one of the first questions a nurse or a doctor will ask when you go in for a visit is how your appetite has been. Similarly, spiritual appetite is one of the great indicators to God of your spiritual health. If you experience no appetite for Him and His truth or values, then you are revealing a lack of need and connection to Him. This particular kingdom value is easy to spot.

The idiomatic expression of “hunger and thirst” shows up as a passionate desire propelled by heavy longing. It produces actions that are recognizable. While we all have felt hunger from time to time, it’s true that we live in a day when most of us don’t have to worry about being hungry for very long. The access to food in the Western world is replete. Sure, we may be inconvenienced by the time it takes to go to a store or restaurant, but very few of us in our nation know true physical hunger. It wasn’t like that in biblical days when there were no freezers or refrigerators.

People had to hustle after food day in, day out because it couldn’t typically be preserved for extended periods of time. In addition, food preparation was often laborious and lengthy. People didn’t necessarily snack all day like so many have become accustomed to in modern nations. They couldn’t just wake up in the middle of the night and go to the refrigerator or pantry for a quick snack. Meals had designated times. Leftovers didn’t last long. Either due to consumption, rot, or a need to be used for livestock or another purpose, not much food would have been wasted. Little is wasted when little is all you’ve got.

Many who lived in the day and age in which Jesus spoke these words knew exactly what it was like to feel hungry. They knew what it was like to be thirsty. They knew what it was like to have gone an extended amount of time without the nourishment they needed. Real hunger can be so deep and so gnawing that it can literally hurt, keeping someone awake all night. This is the hunger and the thirst Jesus spoke about. This is how we are to feel toward obtaining righteousness in our lives. 

Reaction:
Describe a moment in your life when you were so hungry that it affected what you could do or think about. What did you choose to do about it? What can this experience teach you about the level of hunger you are to have for righteousness? 

Prayer:
Jesus, You have taught us that we are to hunger and thirst for righteousness, so I want to do this in such a way that pleases You. Help me gain a better understanding of what this means and what this looks like in my life. In Your name I pray, amen.