Blessed are...

Hungry for God

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
Matthew 5:6

Jesus says that we should hunger and thirst for righteousness. The primary meaning of His words, when applied to the human condition, is that we are hungry for God, and that we shall remain hungry until we come to Him. However, this was probably not Jesus’ meaning when He spoke to the disciples. He assumed that they were well aware of their need of God. ‘Righteousness’ has other facets of meaning, as we shall see. Nevertheless, it is important for us to grasp what has been called the legal, saving aspect of righteousness.

To be righteous, in God’s eyes, is for us to be in a right relationship with Him. Everything is ‘right’ in our relationship with Him when the Covenant between us is restored, when our sins are forgiven, when we acknowledge Him as King. The problem is, of course, that we cannot attain this right relationship by ourselves.[1] We are so tainted by sin that we are incapable; our offenses are so great that we can never make amends. But God can. Through the sacrifice of Christ, it is now possible for us to enter into a renewed, right relationship with our Maker. By satisfying the demands of the law, taking our sin upon Himself, Jesus enabled us to have peace with God.[2] This is the heart of the Gospel. In accepting Christ, we are declared righteous, not because of what we have done, but because of what He has done for us. Christians are those who have discovered that there is, in every human heart, a longing for the righteousness of God, that only Christ can fill.



Merciful Lord,
Thank You for the opportunity to know You
and to love You as my Father.
Thank You that, despite my wandering,
You never gave up on me.
Thank You that, inasmuch as I cling to Christ,
my hunger is satisfied.
Keep me turning to You,
in repentance and faith.
In and through Christ my Lord.
Amen.


[1] Romans 3:23
[2] Romans 5:1