MATTHEW SERIES: THE KING AND HIS KINGDOM

The Beatitudes: Directives For Disciples (Message 4)

Matthew 5:6

Blessed are those who

HUNGER and THIRST for RIGHTEOUSNESS,

for they will be FILLED.

DEFINITION: WHAT IT MEANS TO HUNGER & THIRST

We Can’t Comprehend That Kind Of Hunger:

Not just any hunger, but the hunger of a man who hadn’t eaten in a week and didn’t know from where his next meal would come. A man who could probably only eat meat once a month if he was lucky.

We Can’t Comprehend That Kind Of Thirst:

The kind of thirst that comes from having sand in your throat and nostrils, in the heat of the dry dessert, with no cold water tap in sight, let alone a stream or a pond from which a small relief could be found.

Psalms 42.1-2

¹ As the deer PANTS for streams of water,
     so my soul PANTS for you, O God.
² My soul THIRSTS for God, for the living God.
     When can I go and meet with God?

To hunger and thirst for righteousness would therefore be

• Intense (a matter of life or death)
• All consuming (consuming time, resources, efforts, passions)
• Challenging (all the beatitudes are a challenge)

APPLICATION: RIGHTEOUSNESS IN 2014

Question: What is Righteousness? If we are to hunger and thirst for something, perhaps we should know what that something is.

Life Application Bible Commentary on RIGHTEOUSNESS:

Refers to a personal righteousness—being so filled with God that the person completely does God’s will, without tripping up, sinning, making mistakes, and disappointing God. Righteousness refers to total discipleship and complete obedience. It may also refer to righteousness for the entire world—an end to the sin and evil that fill it.

Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness experience

that longing in at least three forms:

• The desire to be righteous—to be forgiven and accepted by God; right with God.
• The desire to do what is right—do what God commands
• The desire to see right done—to help bring about God’s will in the world.

The Greek word refers to a “WHOLE RIGHTEOUSNESS” (APPLICATION)

• PERMEATES! – Affects every aspect of life
• public and private
• work and home
• All the time, Every Day…Not just Sundays
• PENETRATES! – A righteousness on the inside as well as the outside
• DEMONSTRATES! A righteousness according to the kingdom of God, not man.

A Warning To The “Well Fed” Luke 6:20-26 (Focus on v. 25)

²⁰ Looking at his disciples, he said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
     for yours is the kingdom of God.
²¹ Blessed are you who hunger now,
     for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
     for you will laugh.
²² Blessed are you when men hate you,
     when they exclude you and insult you
     and reject your name as evil,
     because of the Son of Man.
²³ “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.

²⁴ “But woe to you who are rich,
     for you have already received your comfort.
²⁵ Woe to you who are well fed now,
     for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
     for you will mourn and weep.
²⁶ Woe to you when all men speak well of you,
     for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.

“WOE” is the Exact Opposite of “BLESSED”

• They trust in their own righteousness.
• “Apart from Jesus my righteousness is like filthy rags”
• Appear to be righteous on the outside, but inside…

SATISFACTION – They Will be Filled

The word for “filled” (chortasthēsontai) means to feed or to fatten cattle from the word for fodder or grass like Mark 6:39 “green grass” (chortos chlōros).

—Robertson, A. T. Word Pictures in the New Testament

• Deeply Satisfied
• Longings and Desires Met
• Hunger and Thirst Abated

INVITATION

• Empty yourself and become hungry and thirsty for righteousness.
• Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness
• Remember that you will indeed be satisfied, don’t ever stop hungering…