Hunger and Thirst

The greatest cause of death is surprisingly not cancer or war, its hunger.  Food and water are basic human needs, we need them to survive.

The Sermon on the Mount is the longest recorded sermon by Jesus and the twelve verses that we read from contains the Beatitudes.

There are eight (8) beatitudes, i.e. verses 3-10. 

The word “beatitude” came from Latin word “beatus” w/c means blessed or happy.  

So technically, Jesus was saying “HAPPY are THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST” for what?  For Food?  No, for RIGHTEOUSNESS!

Why do you think being hungry and thirsty is a good illustration? 

Humans hunger and thirst not only for food but for satisfaction in life. We search in all kinds of different areas to be filled, to be satisfied, but we always end up falling short.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” 

Blaise Pascal said that we all have a “God-shaped void” in our lives. 

All men are hungry and thirsty; the problem is that we try to fill that hunger and thirst, with things other than the righteousness of God. Some of you here today are empty; you have not been satisfied. You are trying to fill that “God-shaped void” in your life with all kinds of things, but you are left empty and unsatisfied.
Jesus said:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:25, 33)

Righteousness starts in the heart and changes a person from the inside out.  True righteousness is like a magnet that attracts people to Christ.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:20 “For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" 

The Pharisees had been so merged in a religious system involving intricate rules and following traditions. It was like wearing cheap perfume that you splash on to make yourself smell good. It's not really a part of you and it can't cover the odour underneath. True righteousness starts from the heart and changes a person from the inside out.

Righteousness doesn't need to be seen by others, but only by God
Jesus said: "Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of people, to be seen by them. Otherwise, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven". The Pharisees loved to pray in public - loudly!

Righteousness is a lifestyle of a true believer which distinguishes him from others.  In doing so, as a believer pursues righteousness, he becomes an effective witness and attracts people to Christ.

Jesus exposes the self-righteousness of the Pharisees and the issue of heart of the people in the crowd. Jesus is raising the bar.
He is presenting to the crowd that He is that true Righteousness; He is the One they have been hungering and thirsting after, and the only One who can fill that emptiness inside of them. He is presenting Himself as the means to satisfy deeper thirst and hunger, our spiritual starvation can only be fulfilled by Jesus.

When Jesus fed the five thousand, He said -- Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you.

This truly is a message of hope to those who are lost and perishing, to those in Jesus’ day and in our day. The emptiness that fills their lives, and ours, can only be satisfied in Christ, the true Righteousness. 

Only by hungering and thirsting after Christ can that void, that emptiness, be filled. The things of this world will not satisfy; only Jesus Christ satisfies. 

This message is one of hope to unbelievers, but there is an important message to believers as well.  In your life right now, what are you hungering and thirsting after? Where is your heart? 

In one sense, it is easy for us as believers to see that we are filled and satisfied when we accept the free gift of salvation, but still many believers struggle with big areas of sin, and they try to fill a hole with something other than Jesus Christ.  Some of us sit week after week here in the church longing to be satisfied but do we really seek after true righteousness? This is a daily pattern we go through, each one of us, because our body needs food; it is the same with thirst. This is the same in the spiritual realm of life. We need to hunger and thirst, actually starve, for righteousness in our lives.

We need to hunger after God on a daily basis, every second of every day and avoid the many things we do that affect our relationship with Christ. These things hinder our walk with the Lord; they distract us from true righteousness. Hungering and thirsting is not easy because we have to make tough decisions, the decisions to be different, to not always do what other people are doing,  

 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled.” We are blessed if we hunger and thirst after righteousness. How? Because we are filled; we don’t hunger any longer as the world hungers because our satisfaction has been met in Christ. 

Prayer

Wherever you are, whatever you situation you may be -- you need the love of Jesus in your life. Please say this prayer sincerely from your heart:  

Father God, I confess all my sins to you today.  Please forgive me.  Today, I open my heart to your Son Jesus Christ.  I accept Him in my life as my Saviour and as my Lord.  May the Holy Spirit come to my life and make me the kind of person you want me to be.  In Jesus Name, I pray.    Amen.

The above article is an excerpt from a sermon delivered at WCCC Richmond during its service on  Sunday, May 22, 2016

I apologize if there are grammatical and spelling errors. I also apologize if I have missed acknowledging or making proper references to my sources, if any.  as it is purely unintentional.

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