Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness

Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Here in the fourth beatitude, Jesus blesses and describes Christians as having a hunger and thirst for righteousness. Christians have a Godly sorrow for their sin and sinful condition. This causes them feel poor because of a realization that they are lacking in the one thing they desire most and that is righteousness. This is certainly drastically different from what the world desires. Can you imagine the answers you would get if you asked people at random in our culture to list their desires and goals? Fame, fortune, success, money, possessions, etc. would all receive many votes. Even in many Christian churches, the sermon from the pulpit is not about Christ and his righteousness. The teaching is on how one can be more fulfilled and achieve success, wealth and temporal happiness. The focus is temporal and man-centered from start to finish. However, consider someone giving the following answer: “you know, I really hunger and thirst for righteousness. I would like to be more like Christ and be conformed to his image. I would like to be more holy.” This would be radical thinking in our age of hungering and thirsting for more stuff with little regard for ethical principles. A few years ago a survey was performed that asked people if they would throw a loved family pet from the rim of the Grand Canyon for a million dollars. Many including professing Christians answered in the affirmative. Paul in 2 Timothy 3 said the following:

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. (2) For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, (3) heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, (4) treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, (5) having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Paul in this passage is not describing a blessed people who hunger and thirst for righteousness. He is describing a people who are sold out for self, pleasure, and riches. He is describing many in our post-modern culture who hunger and thirst for polluted water rather than living water. However, in the beatitudes, Jesus describes the characteristics of born again Christians that are indwelt by the HOLY SPIRIT. They have a hunger and thirst for righteousness that is just as real as the thirst that follows a salty meal.

Praise God that Jesus promises to fill those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. These are Christians and they can be sure they will be more and more conformed to Christ as they are sanctified and on judgment day they will be covered in the righteousness of Christ.