JESUS: THE RIGHTEOUS (Matthew 5:6) CHAPTER 4 RIGHTEOUSNESS: WHAT IS IT? "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." (Matthew 5:6). The Bible truth is that man needs more than food and drink to sustain his life. He needs spiritual nutrition for his soul. That's why Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4). He also said, "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him" (John 6:27). Man is not just a mere animal with physical necessities. We are the special creation of God, made in His image and likeness, equipped with spiritual, emotional and physical needs and desires. We need an intimate relationship with God our Creator and this comes through Jesus Christ. Matthew 5:6 reminds us of the TV scenes of starving immigrants who flee some drought, civil unrest, or political upheaval with only the clothes on their back. They work or travel in oppressive heat while their little children's bones seem to protrude through their tight skin and their bellies bloat up with parasites. Most of us don't have a clue what real starvation feels like. What a joy it is for these refugees to find abundant food and water! People are searching for something in life that satisfies their desires and needs. They are hungry and thirsty but not only for bread and water. They want things, material possessions, close relationships, meaning for life and peace. They want to be happy. There is, though, a more vital hunger that God wants us to experience and always stands ready to satisfy. It is hunger and thirst for righteousness. Remembering that "blessed" is sometimes translated "happy", notice what Jesus did not say. He didn't say that those who seek happiness will be happy. Instead, he said that those who seek righteousness will be happy. Those who seek God and His will, those who want to think and act rightly, will find happiness. Often, the folks who are hungry and thirsty try to satisfy their desires in the wrong way. A child arrives at school hungry and fills up on candy, but when lunchtime comes around he doesn't want to eat
JESUS: THE RIGHTEOUS (Matthew 5:6) CHAPTER 4 RIGHTEOUSNESS: WHAT IS IT? "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." (Matthew 5:6). The Bible truth is that man needs more than food and drink to sustain his life. He needs spiritual nutrition for his soul. That's why Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4). He also said, "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him" (John 6:27). Man is not just a mere animal with physical necessities. We are the special creation of God, made in His image and likeness, equipped with spiritual, emotional and physical needs and desires. We need an intimate relationship with God our Creator and this comes through Jesus Christ. Matthew 5:6 reminds us of the TV scenes of starving immigrants who flee some drought, civil unrest, or political upheaval with only the clothes on their back. They work or travel in oppressive heat while their little children's bones seem to protrude through their tight skin and their bellies bloat up with parasites. Most of us don't have a clue what real starvation feels like. What a joy it is for these refugees to find abundant food and water! People are searching for something in life that satisfies their desires and needs. They are hungry and thirsty but not only for bread and water. They want things, material possessions, close relationships, meaning for life and peace. They want to be happy. There is, though, a more vital hunger that God wants us to experience and always stands ready to satisfy. It is hunger and thirst for righteousness. Remembering that "blessed" is sometimes translated "happy", notice what Jesus did not say. He didn't say that those who seek happiness will be happy. Instead, he said that those who seek righteousness will be happy. Those who seek God and His will, those who want to think and act rightly, will find happiness. Often, the folks who are hungry and thirsty try to satisfy their desires in the wrong way. A child arrives at school hungry and fills up on candy, but when lunchtime comes around he doesn't want to eat