Hunger and thirst
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”Matthew 5:6
Reflection
Hunger and thirst are signs of health. A sick body often loses its appetite, and a living body asks for food and water without stopping. Jesus uses this very physical image to describe healthy spiritual life: "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness". He does not praise those who already feel satisfied with their own level of spirituality, but those who have an appetite. A soul hungry for God is a living soul, and that hunger, in itself, is already a blessing.
But what is "righteousness" here? It is not only correct rules or social justice, although that is included. The word speaks of living life as God designed it: being right with Him, with our neighbor and with the truth. To hunger and thirst for this is to truly desire that things be made right, beginning inside us. It is the opposite of the indifference of someone who has grown used to the crooked and says "it has always been this way". It is wanting to be different and to see the world different, and to feel the lack of it in the stomach of the soul.
And then comes the promise: "for they shall be filled". The hunger was not placed in us to torment us endlessly. God awakens it in order to satisfy it. Many people try to kill this hunger with snacks: entertainment, approval, consumption, busyness. It fills for a moment, but soon the hunger returns, because none of that feeds what the soul actually asks for. Only the One who created the appetite can satisfy it fully. Jesus said at another time that He Himself is the bread of life.
How is your appetite today? Perhaps it is dulled by so many "snacks" throughout the day. Try, then, fasting from what does not nourish and sitting at the table of the Word and prayer, truly hungry. Ask God to renew your desire for Him. If you already feel this hunger, rejoice: it is a sign of life. And trust the promise of Jesus, which does not deceive: whoever seeks God hungry leaves the table filled.
Prayer
Lord, awaken in me hunger and thirst for You and for Your righteousness. Free me from being satisfied with what passes and does not fill. May I desire Your way more than anything else. Thank You that You promise to fill those who seek You, and that You are the bread my soul asks for. Amen.
Put it into practice
Choose one "snack" that has taken God's place in your day (phone, series, shopping) and cut it back today. Use the free time to open the Word and pray hungry, asking the Lord to renew your appetite for Him.
To reflect on
What have you been using to kill the hunger of your soul, and what would happen if you sought fullness in God?
Bible text: King James Version (public domain).