Sermon on the Mount: Hunger & Thirst
When was the last time you were hungry or thirsty? It was probably today, probably no more than a few hours ago. Hunger and thirst are common occurrences for all living things. We need food and water to keep us alive, and within just a few hours of eating or drinking something we start to feel hungry or thirsty. Our body is reminding us that there is something that is essential to life and it’s been a bit since we had it. Now, that original feeling of hunger or thirst may not be terribly strong. It may be just a small annoyance or reminder that we should start thinking about where our next meal is going to come from and start planning on when we are going to eat, but the longer we go the stronger the feeling gets. It becomes painful and unignorable until we finally eat and drink and are satisfied again.
With that feeling in mind, let’s look at the next Beatitude that Jesus gives.
Matthew 5:6
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
Jesus is reminding us of that all too familiar feeling of hunger and thirst and putting it into a spiritual setting. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst … for righteousness” Just as the other ones have not been, this is not about physical hunger and thirst, but Jesus uses that feeling, because it is so relatable, to convey the importance of seeking after Him.
We see this same idea conveyed by David in Psalm 42:1-2a, where he says,
“As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.”
The idea here is the desire for God, the desire to live a righteous life, which just means a life that is lived correctly, that follows God’s plan and rules, is not something to be casually interested in. It is not a hobby or a guilty pleasure. Righteousness should be a hunger and thirst, a deep craving in our lives.
Think about that word, “craving.” It means: “a powerful desire for something.” When it comes to food and drink, we can probably all identify a craving that we have had or do have on a regular basis. Sometimes these cravings are things that seem to make sense, sometimes they seem completely bizarre and random. While we aren’t going to go into depth about all of the causes and reasons for cravings in our life, it is often true that cravings are a result of our body or mind seeking something. We may be seeking certain nutrients. We may be seeking dopamine (we want to feel good/happy). We may be trying to prepare for something. We may associate foods/drinks with certain places or emotional states that make us feel comfortable/peaceful/protected. We may be seeking release or trying to hide from something. In most cases, we crave something that we need, and sometimes we don’t even know we need it, but sometimes we do.
When a deer pants for water. It needs water. It knows it needs water, and it desperately seeks it out. Think about the last time you were really thirty. Maybe after working out really hard or going on a long hike/walk on a summer day. Think about how dry your mouth and tongue and throat and lips felt, and how much you wanted some water, even just a little bit, to satiate your thirst. As the deer pants for water, as you pant for water on a hot day, our souls should pant and thirst for God, for His goodness and love, for the totality of who He is.
When you get to that point of intense hunger and thirst, you want something real and substantial. We can very often mask or ignore our hunger or thirst with little snacks or sodas or coffee or cookies or fries or pretty much anything else that tricks our body and mind into thinking that we got what we need, but in reality offers little to no nutritional or hydrating value.
When we are talking about a spiritual hunger and thirst we see something similar. Every person has an innate knowledge of God. There is something within them that knows that there is something more, and desires to experience that and be connected to it. That something is Jesus, and when we correctly identify that hunger, that craving, we are satisfied and filled with the very thing that we need. However, many people get sidetracked. They seek to satisfy their hunger for God with a whole slew of other things. These things may be absolutely bogus, and just appear to be good, or they may have some value, satisfying certain aspects of our innate hunger for God, but not fully giving us what we need. However, for many, that little bit holds them over for a while, and they indulge in more to hold them over for a little while longer, and they become content with the “food” of the world rather than the Bread of Life and Living Water. David also writes, in Psalm 34:8a “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!”
The goodness of God is better than anything this world has to offer. Just as real food is better than chemicals and processed ingredients, God is better than any counterfeit spirituality or addiction or anything else. “the Lord is good!” David is urging us, “Just try it! You’ll like it! I promise! More than that, you’ll love it! You’ll love Him! He loves you! The Lord is good!”
Finally, I want to look at a verse from Romans.
Romans 14:17
“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
Paul, here, is speaking about rules and regulations and what is and isn’t acceptable in the Church, and the jist of what He is getting at is that none of that really matters. The stipulations around food and drink are not all that important. What is important is connection with Christ, and helping others to have that connection. Therefore, if certain rules and regulations help others to get to know Jesus, then you should follow them, for that reason, so that as many people as possible can come to a right relationship with God. “...the kingdom of God is … a matter of … righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
Do you hunger and thirst for righteousness, to live according to everything that God has called you to be? Is it your craving and desire? Do you seek it out and pursue it as life itself? God is the Bread of Life. He is the Living Water. Seeking Him and His righteousness is seeking life, and He promises that those who hunger and thirst for it will be fully satisfied, receiving everything they need.
Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? “taste and see that the Lord is good.”
With that feeling in mind, let’s look at the next Beatitude that Jesus gives.
Matthew 5:6
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
Jesus is reminding us of that all too familiar feeling of hunger and thirst and putting it into a spiritual setting. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst … for righteousness” Just as the other ones have not been, this is not about physical hunger and thirst, but Jesus uses that feeling, because it is so relatable, to convey the importance of seeking after Him.
We see this same idea conveyed by David in Psalm 42:1-2a, where he says,
“As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.”
The idea here is the desire for God, the desire to live a righteous life, which just means a life that is lived correctly, that follows God’s plan and rules, is not something to be casually interested in. It is not a hobby or a guilty pleasure. Righteousness should be a hunger and thirst, a deep craving in our lives.
Think about that word, “craving.” It means: “a powerful desire for something.” When it comes to food and drink, we can probably all identify a craving that we have had or do have on a regular basis. Sometimes these cravings are things that seem to make sense, sometimes they seem completely bizarre and random. While we aren’t going to go into depth about all of the causes and reasons for cravings in our life, it is often true that cravings are a result of our body or mind seeking something. We may be seeking certain nutrients. We may be seeking dopamine (we want to feel good/happy). We may be trying to prepare for something. We may associate foods/drinks with certain places or emotional states that make us feel comfortable/peaceful/protected. We may be seeking release or trying to hide from something. In most cases, we crave something that we need, and sometimes we don’t even know we need it, but sometimes we do.
When a deer pants for water. It needs water. It knows it needs water, and it desperately seeks it out. Think about the last time you were really thirty. Maybe after working out really hard or going on a long hike/walk on a summer day. Think about how dry your mouth and tongue and throat and lips felt, and how much you wanted some water, even just a little bit, to satiate your thirst. As the deer pants for water, as you pant for water on a hot day, our souls should pant and thirst for God, for His goodness and love, for the totality of who He is.
When you get to that point of intense hunger and thirst, you want something real and substantial. We can very often mask or ignore our hunger or thirst with little snacks or sodas or coffee or cookies or fries or pretty much anything else that tricks our body and mind into thinking that we got what we need, but in reality offers little to no nutritional or hydrating value.
When we are talking about a spiritual hunger and thirst we see something similar. Every person has an innate knowledge of God. There is something within them that knows that there is something more, and desires to experience that and be connected to it. That something is Jesus, and when we correctly identify that hunger, that craving, we are satisfied and filled with the very thing that we need. However, many people get sidetracked. They seek to satisfy their hunger for God with a whole slew of other things. These things may be absolutely bogus, and just appear to be good, or they may have some value, satisfying certain aspects of our innate hunger for God, but not fully giving us what we need. However, for many, that little bit holds them over for a while, and they indulge in more to hold them over for a little while longer, and they become content with the “food” of the world rather than the Bread of Life and Living Water. David also writes, in Psalm 34:8a “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!”
The goodness of God is better than anything this world has to offer. Just as real food is better than chemicals and processed ingredients, God is better than any counterfeit spirituality or addiction or anything else. “the Lord is good!” David is urging us, “Just try it! You’ll like it! I promise! More than that, you’ll love it! You’ll love Him! He loves you! The Lord is good!”
Finally, I want to look at a verse from Romans.
Romans 14:17
“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
Paul, here, is speaking about rules and regulations and what is and isn’t acceptable in the Church, and the jist of what He is getting at is that none of that really matters. The stipulations around food and drink are not all that important. What is important is connection with Christ, and helping others to have that connection. Therefore, if certain rules and regulations help others to get to know Jesus, then you should follow them, for that reason, so that as many people as possible can come to a right relationship with God. “...the kingdom of God is … a matter of … righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
Do you hunger and thirst for righteousness, to live according to everything that God has called you to be? Is it your craving and desire? Do you seek it out and pursue it as life itself? God is the Bread of Life. He is the Living Water. Seeking Him and His righteousness is seeking life, and He promises that those who hunger and thirst for it will be fully satisfied, receiving everything they need.
Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? “taste and see that the Lord is good.”
Posted in Sermon on the Mount, XSession
Posted in XSession, Sermon on the Mount, Righteousness, Hunger, Thirst, Bread of Life, Living Water
Posted in XSession, Sermon on the Mount, Righteousness, Hunger, Thirst, Bread of Life, Living Water
Recent
Archive
2025
January
February
2024
January
February
August
October
2023
August
October
November