The Constitution of God’s Kingdom Part 3

The Beatitudes – (Hunger)

Certain portions of Scripture seem to be etched more deeply into our minds than others. Psalm 23 is definitely one of these, as are I Corinthians 13 and Hebrews 11. The Sermon on the Mount is another. This detailed description of what the subjects of the “Kingdom of God” should become, is closer to being Christianity's manifesto than any other single portion of the Bible. It is the ‘Constitution of God’s Kingdom’.

In this passage, the King (Jesus) summarises the character and conduct expected of His subjects. It was intended to be a system of laws and principles which were to govern the Kingdom’s citizens during Christ’s reign. It was meant for all - past, present and future - who acknowledge Christ as King. When Christ was on earth, it had direct application to His disciples. But now, while our Lord reigns in heaven, it applies to all who crown Him King in their hearts.

The Beatitudes are as important to the Christ’s followers as the Law was to Moses’ followers. But notice, the Beatitudes were directed toward a change of ‘attitude’, whereas the Ten Commandments were directed toward a change of ‘practice’. The one tells you what you must ‘do’ or ‘not do’ (“You shall...” “You shall not…”), and the other tells you what you are to ‘become’ (“Blessed are...”). By helping to change our attitudes, Jesus knew that the Sermon on the Mount could effect what we do (change our code of practice). Therefore, when our attitudes are right - so too are our practices!

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6). It is not at all uncommon these days to hear of an ambitious person as being "hungry" to accomplish significant things. Writers apply this term to athletes who want to make it to the professional leagues, to actors who want to attain stardom, and to business persons who seek to become a CEO or president of a major corporation.

The fact is, very few of us know what it is to be really “hungry” or really “thirsty.” Yet in the ancient world it was very different. The average man ate meat only once a week, and in Palestine the working man (and the day labourer) were never very far from the border-line of actual starvation. And it was more so in the case of thirst. It was not possible for anyone to turn a tap on and get clear, cold water pouring out. In the conditions of modern western society there is no way we can imagine the extreme hunger and thirst most Palestinians were accustomed to. For many, hunger and thirst was a way of life!

We see, then, that Jesus is not using "hunger" or "thirst" as we would describe the emptiness or dryness we feel between meals, but a hunger or thirst that seemingly can never be satisfied. This would be a hunger and thirst that, even after a full meal with plenty of drink, we would still feel as though we could eat and drink much more! One commentator describes it as, “the painful hunger of the man who is starving for food, and the thirst of the man who will die unless he drinks.” Nothing can better express the kind of desire we should have in order to obtain righteousness (right-standing with God).

The Bible's writers frequently employ the imagery of hunger and especially thirst to illustrate an ardent desire, particularly for the things of God: “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?” (Psalm 42:1,2) “O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1).

So what is Righteousness? At first it may seem like a ‘no-brainer’ because we all know it means "right doing." But the Bible's use of "righteousness" is both specific and broad. In the very familiar command Jesus gave in Matthew 6:33, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you," it has the sense of seeking all of God's spiritual blessings. We see in this verse not only a broad application of the term, but also, (more importantly) its priority in life. This dovetails perfectly with the hunger-and-thirst metaphor. According to Jesus, it’s not enough to ambitiously yearn (or desire) to accomplish, for God's Kingdom and His righteousness are the very top priorities in all of life.

The Bible shows three kinds of righteousness, and each is important in its own right. All three are included within the scope of Jesus' words because all three are vital to Christian life and development. All three are to be sought within your relationship with God and with fellow man. Two of them are very necessary, and the third less so only because of your God-limited authority in relation to the world system.

The first is the righteousness that comes when God justifies a sinner by grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. This results when Christ's obedience is imputed to him, thus giving him legal righteousness before God. David writes, "There is none who does good, no, not one" (Psalm 14:1); Paul changes the wording slightly, "There is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10). God makes these powerful indictments against a world in which most people undoubtedly consider themselves as ‘good’. But it’s a goodness perceived through their own standards - in a darkened mind not yet awakened to God's righteousness.

Scripture makes it clear that only by God's grace and mercy are we led to see ourselves (to some degree) as He sees us. And it cost Jesus His life to provide this divine revelation. Nonetheless, it is amazing how hungry and thirsty we become for God's offer of justification – being righteous before Him. But we cannot stop here – hunger and thirst may have brought us this far - but it’s only a beginning. If we possess a godly hunger and thirst, it shall remain – even though we have been declared “righteous” before God.

The second kind of righteousness for which we are to hunger and thirst is the one that occupies the greater portion of a believer’s life. Notice how Jesus does not say, "Blessed are those who have hungered…" but rather, "Blessed are those who hunger (do hunger)." This hungering and thirsting is a continuous state, and it must be this way for the second kind of righteousness - elsewhere called ‘pursuing holiness, going on to perfection, or growing in the grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ’. More frequently the Bible calls it sanctification.

Therefore, the first kind of righteousness has to do with Justification (being in right-standing with God), and the second has to do with Sanctification (being set apart for God’s purposes). The second type of righteousness is created in us, imparted to us by God's Holy Spirit following justification – as we experience our relationship with God. It is seeking godly character to be equipped for service in His Kingdom.

God cannot create His holy and righteous character in you without your full cooperation. He requires your permission. By exercising your free will, you submit to Him in the experiences of life. Submission however is often difficult, and therefore, Christianity is no walk through the garden. Throughout this Beatitude, the Lord presents us with a serious challenge, and because it is continuously needed, it establishes a demanding requirement. How much do we really want the righteousness of God? Do we want it as much as a starving man desires food or a parched man craves water?

There are things we can do to enhance the initial hunger for righteousness God gives to us. If we were physically hungry or thirsty, we would give every last ounce of strength we had to find food and water, or die in the effort. Likewise, we must be willing to do whatever it takes to make progress in our quest for God's righteousness. As adolescents, we were unaware that growth was taking place until someone who had not seen us for a while brought it to our attention. In the same way ‘spiritual growth’ may also seem so slow that we think it is not happening. But you should not let that stop us!

Keep on praying for others, thanking God for His goodness and mercy, asking for wisdom, love and faith. Keep studying God's Word. That way you will fill your mind with insight into the glorious way He lives. The God-kind of life is free from fear and pain, unworried about failure, disaster or harm. It’s always involved in projects that bring good to others, and warmly satisfied in accomplishing good. Do you not desire to live your life like this? Well - get hungry for it!

Because of the nature of Christianity today, the third kind of biblical righteousness does not effect our lives as much. At the same time, we must not allow ourselves to think it is of little importance. Biblical righteousness is more than a private and personal affair, something only having to do with our direct personal relationship with God. This kind of righteousness can be called a social righteousness. It is hungering and thirsting for righteousness for the community as well as for the self. It can involve civil rights, justice in the legal system, integrity in business, and honour in home and family.

This righteousness contemplates, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). Jesus is a clear example of what we must seek to do. Despite all of His wonderful powers, Jesus never moved to change society externally. Though exceedingly wiser than the entrenched government, He in no way attempted to overthrow it or get a crowd behind Him to vote it out of existence. He did not participate in its politics, nor did He sit in councils or juries. And there is no record of any of the apostles concerning themselves with these things either.

However, Jesus did move to change society internally through the preaching of the Good News of the Kingdom of God. He used His office as the Messiah to travel around the nation doing good through miracles, healings, counselling, preaching and teaching. Similarly, even though we do not have the office of God's only Son, we nonetheless have His authority to do “greater works” within the framework of our commission.

So remember, do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so. Do not say to your neighbour, "Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it," when you have it with you right now. You should be ever thankful for the privilege of representing your Saviour in this manner. If you are not, you might need to ask yourself, "Just how hungry am I in my search for His kingdom and His righteousness?"

Like all the other beatitudes, this one also has a promise, “...for they will be filled.” Bearing in mind, this is a God-created hunger that begins when He calls us into His Family. When God creates a hunger and thirst in us, He has one intention - to fill it Himself. So what is the process? With our hungering and thirsting, there is first an initial and then a continuous filling:

He continually fills us with what He is and what we need in order to negotiate our way around His kingdom safely and securely.
He continually fills us with faith; hope and love that we might be just like Him.
He continually fills us with knowledge and understanding that we might have His perspective on the affairs of this life, and a clear vision of our future life in His Kingdom.
He continually fills us with wisdom that we might apply the understanding He makes available to us.
He continually fills us with a peace that surpasses all understanding – in the midst of a corrupt world.
He continually fills us with thanksgiving and knowledge of Him that we might praise Him in every circumstance.

Note, a blessing is pronounced on anyone who hungers and thirsts for righteousness; but such a person is also promised to be satisfied fully. This believer has a passion for being in right standing with God in every aspect of his life. And he longs to see honesty, integrity and justice in society. He is convinced that corruption will give way to the highest moral standards. What’s more, he is looking for practical holiness in the church. Is this person you?

If it is, then you will have a thirst that no earthly stream can satisfy, and a hunger that must be fed on Christ alone. But most of all you will be filled (to over-flowing) with living water -as mentioned in Revelation 7:16,17… “They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore… for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters.”

Chris Demetriou, 15/11/2009