The Beatitudes: Part Two

Hunger & Thirst for Righteousness

Matthew 5:6 “God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.”

Blessed (truly happy) are those who hunger and thirst (continuous action) for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied (filled to full satisfaction).

Jesus isn’t using passive language here, He is speaking of an insatiable hunger and thirst — an appetite that is not satisfied easily.

A sound that aches and yearns for righteousness the way that someone who is starving longs for food.

There’s a constant reminder — a pain in us that brings us back to a need — knowing that right-standing with God is an absolute necessity. Not something to be taken lightly — and not even something that we can even live without!

This hunger does not stop! It is insatiable.

Jesus is not speaking of mere curiosity, so he’s not speaking of the double-minded here, but those who will consistently be aware of their need for righteousness.

There are a few different kinds of righteousness, but one word to describe them all:

Personal righteousness — a longing to live rightly before God; free from sin, pure in heart, and honoring God with everything we are.

Relational righteousness — the desire to see justice done in the world. Right relationship between people, justice for the oppressed and overlooked, and mercy for the hurting.

Covenantal righteousness — a longing for the fulfillment of God’s promises and His Kingdom fully made manifest. [What does this look like, according to scripture?]