Jesus’ continual use of metaphors throughout the gospel powerfully anchored truth to our hearts in a way that cold prose seldom do. His principled images left lasting impressions that still resonate with us today, albeit in varying degrees that may differ from His original audiences.
Take for example, Jesus’ powerful reminder that a blessed person is one who hungers and thirsts after righteousness (Matt. 5:6). As the fourth in a series of Beatitudes, this statement builds upon the previous promises shared in order to describe the lives of those who know God. The righteousness Jesus emphasizes here is more practical than positional.
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On the one hand, Scripture teaches that at the moment of salvation, God declares a person to be righteous because of the imputed purity of His Son. Simply put, Jesus took our sins upon Himself while hanging on the cross in order to place His holy perfection upon us (Rom. 5:19). When a person repents of sin and calls out to Christ for forgiveness, he receives a new position in which God sees him as righteous (Phil. 3:9). Christians often refer to this as justification.
On the other hand, God works in our lives through a process called sanctification as well. How we live is a reflection of who we are. Thus, because the One who called us is holy, we should seek to be holy in all our behavior (1 Pet. 1:15). We should work out practically what God has declared about us positionally (Phil 2:12-13). Outward life change has always been the greatest evidence of inward transformation.
Rather than simply saying, “Seek to be as righteous as you can,” Jesus taps into the most basic of human needs in order to drive His point home. Hungering for righteousness makes sense to us because we sometimes use the same analogy today. We sometimes refer to an up-and-coming business man as being hungry to succeed. We view politicians as being hungry for power. In our minds, the best athletes are those we are hungry to win.
Not all hunger created equal
The reality, though, is that not all hunger is created equal. The full weight of Jesus’ metaphor is often lost on us because most Americans know little about starvation. In a world of Hot Eats, Cool Treats, thinking outside the bun, and Golden Arches on every corner, most of us have no meaningful concept of hunger. Yet, nearly every Jew who heard Jesus’ statement likely had a visceral reaction.
Famine and malnourishment were far too common in first century Judea. The Old Testament records a food shortage that was so severe that people in Samaria bartered for donkey heads and dove dung while mothers negotiated to cannibalize their children (2 Kgs. 6:25-29). Void of experiences like these, we might associate hunger with craving something to eat rather than being desperate for sustenance. There is a big difference.
Coach Bryan Bartley helps us see the distinction by describing athletes. “A hungry athlete,” he says, “will hunt and find food, cook it, devour it, and if they have high character, they will clean the kitchen after they are finished. A hungry athlete will find a place to work out and play, they will find a way on the team, and they’ll find a way to make an impact no matter what gets in their way.”
By contrast, “A person who just wants to eat will have a cabinet or refrigerator full of food but will sit at home and wait for someone to cook it for them, and if it isn’t cooked the way they want it to be cooked, they won’t eat it. An athlete who just wants to eat will work out when you make them, but only if you make them because they aren’t hungry enough to make themselves.”
Herein is the profound lesson behind Jesus’ metaphor. Spiritually speaking, are you hungry, or do you just want something to eat? Far too many want the benefit of knowing about God, but have very little desire to walk with Him daily. We love to give the impression of understanding the Bible, yet we frequently lack the concern or commitment to obey it. Those who are willing to digest a sermon on Sunday are not necessarily willing to prepare spiritual food for themselves during the week. God is looking for those who are profoundly hungry for righteousness.
In an effort to solidify His message further, Jesus employs the image of thirsting for righteousness as well. Again, our freedom to turn on the tap any time we need running water fights against our appreciation for the profundity of the lesson here.
Imagine walking across the dessert with empty water jugs and a mouth as dry as cotton. Or suppose you wake up in the middle of the night feeling ill, your lips are chapped, your voice is hoarse, and your tongue is dry. Think about the difficulty of eating an entire meal with nothing to wash your food down, and then, envision doing so for weeks. Like a deer that pants for water in the wilderness, we should thirst for God and His righteousness (Psa. 42:1-2).
Finding lasting joy
And what is the reward for doing so? Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” The only way to find lasting joy, eternal purpose, and complete satisfaction in life is by living as God desires each and every day. In fact, every temptation we face is nothing more than a deceptive invitation to find fulfillment outside of God’s will. Don’t fall for the world’s lies. Hunger and thirst for righteousness and you will find greater satisfaction than you’ve ever known.
Do these images describe you? Are you always looking to obey the Lord? Are you continually desperate to be more like Christ? Are you repeatedly eager to give more of yourself to the God? Are you hungry, or do you just want something to eat? Are you thirsty, or do you just want a drink in your hand?
