The Thirst that Drives Us

The Thirst that Drives Us

Matthew 5:1-12

            What is the hunger that drives you?  What is the thirst that motivates you?

            We call them “the Beatitudes.”   They are the statements with which Jesus begins his Sermon on the Mount.  Because they are his opening remarks we can assume they’re important.  The word “beatitude” means “blessed,” and each statement begins with that word.  Jesus is teaching his disciples.  He wants them to know what they must do to receive God’s blessings.

            The first thing we notice is how different Jesus’ standards are from the world’s standards.  These aren’t “dog eat dog” statements, not “do unto others before they do unto you” proclamations.  The Beatitudes are about as far removed from what society preaches as you can get.  In order to succeed in God’s world you have to be poor in spirit, be able to mourn over the losses in your life, be merciful, be a peacemaker, and be pure in heart.  When you are reviled and persecuted for following God’s standards rather than the world’s you must not return evil for evil.  That’s a tall order, and one we can’t fill in our own strength.  How fortunate that God supplies the grace we need in order to achieve what we could never accomplish on our own.

            It’s the sixth verse that I want to call attention to.  It reads, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” 

            Just as physical hunger drives us to find food, and physical thirst motivates us to find something to drink, so we are moved to satisfy our spiritual needs.  Our problem is that too often we become sidetracked, and try to fill those needs with things that are at hand, that we can easily grasp.  Even if we’re aware that these things cannot satisfy our spiritual hunger and thirst we turn to them because they are within our reach.

            Sometimes we seek to quench our hunger and thirst with material goods—things that we can see, touch and hold.  If only we can have the next new item in the TV ads we’ll be happy!   We’ll be fulfilled! We’ll be satisfied!

            Often we pursue relationships, sure that if we can be a member of the right church, or the right social club, or the “in group” in our school or community we’ll never hunger, never thirst again.

            Perhaps it’s the right job, the right home, the right marriage partner,or the right number of children that we believe will fill that empty space within us.  Sooner or later we find that none of these things satisfy our hunger and thirst.

            St. Augustine said, “Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee.”  Some say we have a “God-sized hole” in our hearts that nothing else can fill.  If this is true, all our efforts to satisfy our spiritual hunger and thirst with the things the world recommends will end in a feeling of failure and loss.

            God calls us to be righteous—to be as much like God as can we possibly be.  We know we can never be righteous on our own.  It’s only by God’s grace and God’s righteousness that we can achieve anything.  God’s righteousness—God’s “right-ness”—can and will quench the feeling of emptiness that makes us long to be filled.

            “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness,” Jesus said.  Once our longing is turned in the right direction, God will take care of the rest.  Jesus says when we hunger and thirst after righteousness we will be filled.  No more longing, no more emptiness, just the satisfaction of knowing we are sitting at God’s table, and our spiritual hunger and thirst will be satisfied.