The Beatitudes: Hunger and thirst
5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they shall be filled
Hunger and thirst are the body’s response to a basic physiological need not being met: our need for food and water. When we’re hungry or thirsty, our brain triggers a thought and physical response that tells us to eat or drink. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, our basic physiological needs must be met before we’re motivated to meet any of our other needs. We all know what it’s like to be hungry and thirsty, each of us to a different degree. From those shared experiences, we can confirm what happens when those needs aren't fulfilled. Our body's demand for food and water does not go away, and we physically feel the result of that neglect. We grow irritable, unmotivated, aloof, and fatigued until we eat and drink, and that's just a shortlist of adverse effects hunger and thirst can have on the body. The moment we eat, and I'm sure we can all attest to this, the change is almost immediate -- we feel satisfied and can move on with our day.
Matthew 5:6 promises a blessing for those who do hunger and thirst for righteousness. The Greek word for hunger, peinao, and the Greek word for thirsty, dispao, both mean to desire earnestly. In this verse, the verbs describe a present condition or state of being. Our hunger and thirst for righteousness are an earnest desire. Just as our natural body is affected by natural hunger, so is our spiritual body affected by spiritual hunger — the same applies to natural thirst and spiritual thirst. Because righteousness is at the base of our hierarchy of spiritual needs, that need must be met before all other spiritual needs are met. It is a part of the foundation of our relationship with God, and it comes by faith in Christ.
We have sources for our food and water, and in the same way, we have sources for righteousness. Earlier in the Beatitudes study, we learned that a disciple understands their need for God and His generosity. We could try to provide all of those needs perfectly, but we know that we fall short. The same applies to our need for righteousness. Perfect righteousness can only come by the Word of God. [Romans 10:17] When we hunger for righteousness, we need the food of the Spirit that only God can provide. When we thirst for righteousness, we need to drink of the water that only God provides. That essential need can only be met by seeking Christ, which is the living Word of God [John 1:14] because righteousness is faith, and faith comes by hearing and hearing comes by the Word of God.
— There will be a bible study where we learn about what spiritual food and water are, but you can read and bookmark John 6:35 as a starting point —
“The [one] who is hungering and thirsting after righteousness always puts [them]self in the way of getting it.” (“Ken Boa") The righteousness that aligns with God’s standards of living, that is by faith in Christ, must be our dominant desire. We must seek earnestly the righteousness that is found in Christ., and put ourselves in the position to receive it every day. The wonderful promise that lies in that persistence is
they shall be filled.
As mentioned in previous studies, we receive the Holy Spirit by accepting Christ as the perfect Savior of our souls. Yes, we receive the living Word in our hearts and bodies, but that’s not all. You not only have the Living Word flowing on the inside of you, but you have the Living Word on the outside of you. The Bible is our daily bread to feast on and a wellspring of wisdom to drink from!
Our masterful and thoughtful Father in heaven made a plan to save our souls, accomplished it through Christ, and promised us the deposit of the Holy Spirit, but didn’t stop there. He made sure that just as we have the Living Word in us to guide us, we would have an external reminder at the palm of our hands whenever we need external food. And, because of the miracle that is technology, we can access it whenever and wherever we need! Isn’t that absolutely wonderful?
We shall be filled because God has provided us with so great a provision that we can receive our daily bread, well, daily. Not only can we trust the Holy Spirit to fill us up with what we need to do the good works placed before us, but we can seek the Word to be fuel for us at every given moment.
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