Blessed are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

"Every time I try to build something, my stuff keeps falling down." These are words from our youngest son. And he gets so frustrated when this happens. He just can't always achieve what he has in mind to create. There's a hunger and thirst for something, and he's not satisfied until it's met.

According to Jesus, "righteousness" is what those of Jesus' kingdom hunger and thirst for. Take a look at the Beatitudes again.

Blessed are the poor in spirit
Blessed are the mourning ones
Blessed are the meek
Blessed are those who are hungering and thirsting for righteousness 

Blessed are the merciful
Blessed are the pure in heart
Blessed are the peacemakers
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness

Did you notice the pattern to the Beatitudes? Three Beatitudes, then one about "justice/righteousness," then three more and another about "justice/righteousness." This highlights the centrality of justice/righteousness--it's what those of Jesus' kingdom hunger and thirst for and it's what those of Jesus' kingdom are persecuted because of. The livelihood of Jesus' kingdom revolves around justice/righteousness.

Somehow also the Beatitudes help us define "righteousness/justice." How do all of the Beatitudes give meaning to “righteousness” or “justice”? Is it possible that the ones who hunger and thirst for righteousness and the ones persecuted for righteousness are the poor in spirit, the mourning ones, the meek, the merciful, the pure in heart, and the peacemakers? How might this change how you understand “justice/righteousness” and what it means to pursue it?

Notice also that this Beatitude speaks of a desire for something, not just sadness over what's not. Jesus uplifts hungering and thirsting for something, in contrast to being angry, judging, or condemning unrighteousness. How is hungering and thirsting for righteousness, in contrast to being angry, judging, or condemning unrighteousness, a better, more Jesus-like way to live?

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Notice also that Jesus does not say, "Blessed are those who are righteous..." He does not say, "Blessed are those who are perfect."

He says, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness."

The other day things blew up at home. I overreacted to misbehavior from one of our kids. Human ugliness bore more human ugliness. And after things settled, I grieved. I grieved about the father that I had been, or failed to be. But I also hungered. I hungered for something better, for what I knew God made me to be. I wouldn't have this hunger in the first place if I were not caught up in God's restoration, brought to life by Christ. I also knew I was falling all over myself--writing about it, teaching about it, but still falling miserably short.

I hunger and thirst. There are days when I can't stand it because I crave it so much and because it comes so slowly. And I know I cannot provide to satisfy the hunger and thirst. That's the point. We hunger and thirst for something that is outside of ourselves. We cannot generate it. The more I try, the more frustrating it gets. It is only an act of the Spirit of Jesus that fills this appetite. And it only comes as I lay down my crown and rest into the arms of God as one who is poor in spirit.

We hunger and thirst in hope. Take a look at Romans 8:18-25. We only have the hunger because we know that there is a God who is in the process of restoring, of establishing his righteousness in us and in the world. If we did not hunger and thirst, it's probably either because we're content with the way things are, or because we've lost hope in God. How does this hope direct your life?
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Usually hungering and thirsting for something occupy one's attention until the hunger and thirst are satisfied. I know no one who hungers and thirsts, but who just sits around. (Unless someone is fasting, but that's a different deal.) If we hunger and thirst, we're on the move to satisfy the appetite.

To hunger and thirst for righteousness means that our appetites are not occupied with the quest of something else. There are a lot of things we can hunger and thirst after. Some of these even might seem noble or harmless. To hunger and thirst for righteousness is to be so occupied with the craving for God's righteousness that it becomes the only thing that matters. Everything passes through this filter.
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So, what is this "righteousness"? Let me ask you first. What do you think of when you hear or read the word "righteousness"?

Some might think of something like "moral uprightness" or moral perfection. For some people, this is not entirely positive. It makes some people think of what they're not and never will be. Or it makes some people think of those who just judge others from the standpoint of what they think others should be, but are not themselves.

Some might think of the 1990s movie Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure or the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. "Righteous, dude." It's when something is so awesome that it blows your mind. It's, well, like, righteous, you know? (This one might be making its way back into the Fever household.)

The next entry will say more about "righteousness."

For now, consider a thought. As I mentioned above, Jesus DOES NOT say that we hunger and thirst for perfection. We hunger and thirst for righteousness, and I am of the persuasion that perfection and righteousness are not exactly synonymous.

Another thought: this "righteousness" does not pertain only to our individual morality--the goodness of our individual choices and lives. There are worldwide, social, cultural, and even political and economic components to include with the idea of "justice/righteousness."

A final consideration: I think we can say is that the other Beatitudes (poor in spirit, mourning, meekness, etc.) all are components of this "justice/righteousness." So, when you think of being righteous, think of how these are part of what you hunger for, in your life and in the world.

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Think, Talk, Apply

As we continue to think about how we build and order our lives, it's important to ask about what it is we hunger and thirst for. It's like Jesus' statement, "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Our treasure is the thing we hunger and thirst for, the thing we pursue. What is that thing in your life?

Another thing to think and talk about are the moments when you feel the hunger for something better, for that something that only God can provide. When do you feel those moments in your life? When do others around you in your family experience those moments? What is the thing you hunger for in those moments? How do you turn to God to fill that hunger?