This type of hunger and thirst is in contrast with the pagans, who pursue the material world over the spiritual world (Matt. 6:33). So, what is the goal of their pursuit? Jesus calls it “righteousness”. Righteousness in the Bible has three aspects: legal, moral, and social. Legally, Christ-followers desire to be justified or to be right with God. Morally, Christ-followers desire right character and conduct that pleases God. Socially, Christ-followers seek to liberate others by exerting justice and being a witness for Christ in the greater world. The resulting promise is that “they will be filled” (vs. 6b), or “satisfied”. In other words, those who pursue righteousness will find their desire “fully satisfied” by God himself.
Something similar happens when Christ-followers begin to hunger and thirst for righteousness. When we come to Jesus to follow him as his disciple, we come with all our emotional baggage, self-indulgence, worldly awards, and egos intact. But quickly we understand that we must leave all of that at the door if we want to follow him. In fact, Jesus said, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Once we do that, responding to his grace by a response of faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), we embark on a life of being his disciple. It is then that we will begin to see that nothing else will satisfy us other than Jesus. Sure, there will be times of spiritual dryness, confusion, and even doubt, but that does not mean that God is absent. It simply means that we are in the process, in good times or bad, of being formed into the character of a kingdom disciple. As we do, the Holy Spirit will begin to allow us to see the spiritual hunger around us, which is God’s invitation for us to join him in helping meet that need.
So, some questions…
How hungry and thirsty are you for righteousness? Are you in a season of seeking or a season of doubt? Will you ask God to do a work in you and to give you a deep desire for him over all else? I love the Psalmist’s response to this. Psalm 42: 1-2, 5 says, “As a deer longs for flowing streams, so I long for you, God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and appear before God?… Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God.”
Are you being attentive to the spiritual hunger around you? Once you realize the need, are you taking steps to help meet the need? How might you start to invest in the lives of others so that they will grow toward spiritual maturity and find their full satisfaction in Jesus?
FOOTNOTES
1 “The Greatest Night in Pop”, Netflix, January 29, 2024.
This post originally appeared at: Live Hungry: The Pursuit of the Kingdom Life — The Bonhoeffer Project
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