Bible Thoughts July 19, 1998
"Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled"(Matthew 5:6).
Have you ever been so hungry that you thought you were going to die if you did not find something to eat? As a growing youngster, it is possible many of us felt that way. When food was finally available, what a satisfaction to the agony of the stomach. Obviously, we did not die--but we thought we came close.
To be warmed and filled with the physical necessities of life brings happiness to the human. The security of these material items helps one to be relaxed in this life, believing that, for the moment, all things are well. However, it is not long until the hunger pangs strike again, making it necessary to repeat the process of obtaining nourishment every few hours. And what sacrifices will men make to satisfy the fleshly cravings produced by one's appetite!
Jesus wanted men to hunger and thirst after righteousness. He understood the powers of the flesh and used His knowledge to teach a lesson in the Sermon on the Mount. Mortals understand the power of the flesh, as well. When one is dying of thirst, all of one's mind and one's energies focus on quenching the agony within one's physical body. The Lord wanted men to understand the importance of recognizing one's need for satisfying the spiritual. He used something they understood to bring forth a great truth: Men are to hunger and thirst after the ways of God!
In order to seek satisfaction of the spiritual needs, one must first have an appetite. Mankind will not recognize spiritual needs until they realize a need to satisfy those needs. God created the flesh in such a way that it has the means to alert one to the physical needs of the body. The body recognizes those needs and will lead the reasoning part of man to seek fulfillment. Even an infant will let you know that it is time to care for the physical needs. They have an appetite because they were created with it.
When it comes to the spiritual, man is a free moral agent. One must be persuaded that he needs the truth of God in order to be saved. An appetite must be created and cultivated in the heart of a human before they will seek to satisfy the spiritual needs. The preaching of the gospel was sent to satisfy that need. Through the power of the truth, men are persuaded they are sinners. After being convicted of this, they begin to search for a means to rid the soul of sin and to begin to feast upon the spiritual. Utilizing the power of the gospel. Christians teach, admonish, and encourage others to feast upon the message of Jesus Christ.
In the passage under consideration, Jesus said, "Blessed (happy) are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness." Leading men to realize their condition and the need to change is in the power of the gospel. The truth will indeed convict one of sin(Acts 2:37), leading one to seek the salvation that will meet the spiritual needs.
The apostles, the early Christians, and those who have followed the Lord since their time are constantly seeking to create within men that hunger and thirst.