A good meal is always very satisfying. It is particularly delightful when we are able to enjoy the food we like, presented in a way that tantalizes our senses. And, most of all, we are truly satisfied when we are replete without being overfull. There is an irony here because when it comes to hungering and thirsting after righteousness, we are never perfectly satisfied.
BIBLICAL EXAMPLE
Indeed, one of the questions we need to ask ourselves is, ‘Do I really hunger and thirst for God’s righteousness?’ As I indicated last Wednesday, the context of Jesus’ words here refers to moral righteousness, not legal righteousness. Jesus is speaking of a righteousness of life that is consistent with the mind and character of God. It is a quality of life that is measured by the nature and integrity of Jesus’ own life.
Luke’s gospel records the words of the officer in charge of the crucifixion. Seasoned soldier though he was, he offered his verdict about Jesus. He’d seen men die before. He’d heard their agonized groans. But he had felt the darkness; he had heard Jesus shout, and he had seen the way Jesus died. ‘Surely this man is a righteous man,’ he said.
How true! Righteous Jesus was: the most righteous man who has ever walked this earth. No deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled insults at him, he did not retaliate. Instead he put himself in the hands of the judge who judges justly. And in that voluntary sacrifice, we’re told, he bore our guilt in his body. He had no personal sins of his own to die for: he hadn’t committed any. He is the one man who always treated God as God in his life.
KEEPING AMBITION IN PERSPECTIVE
Let me ask: ‘What is your ambition in life?’ Martyn Lloyd Jones, one of the great preachers in London last century, commented: I do not know of a better test that anyone can apply to himself or herself in this whole matter of the Christian profession than a verse like this. If this verse is to you one of the most blessed statements of the whole of Scripture, you can be quite certain you are a Christian; if it is not, then you had better examine the foundations again.
If we claim to be Christian but are not hungering and thirsting for the righteousness of which Jesus speaks, we need to ask whether we really know him at all. How keen are we to put in the hard yards to search the Scriptures, so that we will grow in maturity in understanding the mind and the will of God in order to live more righteous lives? Many professing Christians give a nod to God on Sundays but give little thought to making godly decisions the rest of the week. It’s so important we read and re-read Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and passages such as Ephesians 4:17-6:4. Only when we soak our minds in God’s thoughts will we be better placed to bring a social righteousness to bear at church and in the wider community.
TO BE TRULY FILLED
When we begin to understand the real meaning of righteousness as Jesus uses it here, we will hunger and thirst for more. For we will see that righteousness is not just about a duty but the quality of life we are designed for. Living God’s way is the most satisfying way to live.
The great thing is, Jesus promises that when we hunger and thirst after righteousness we will be filled. The irony is we will long for more. One of my favorite desserts is key lime pie. But even though I am satisfied when I have some, I always long for more! So it is with the righteousness of which Jesus speaks. However, the great news is that the day will come when we will be perfectly satisfied, for all will be perfect.
Righteousness, like holiness, doesn’t easily resonate with even the best of us. When discussing spiritual matters we tend to talk about growing spiritually or about spiritual experiences. We avoid speaking of righteousness per se. Yet into our lives Jesus says: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6).
LEGAL, MORAL, AND SOCIAL RIGHTEOUSNESS
In his Christian Counter-Culture, John Stott identifies at least three aspects of righteousness in the Bible – legal, moral and social (p.45). Legal righteousness speaks of our relationship with God. The Jewish people sought to achieve this through obedience to the law. Failing to realize their inability to achieve this through their own efforts, they also failed to benefit from the gift of God’s righteousness made available through Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:21).
Moral righteousness speaks of a quality of life that imitates the character and life-style we find in Jesus Christ – qualities of life that honor God.
Progression of ideas. Matthew has introduced Jesus’ Beatitudes by telling us that while there were crowds present, the disciples were Jesus’ primary audience (5:1). Furthermore, we observe a progression of ideas from one beatitude to the next. Jesus is saying that anyone who is poor in spirit, who understands their spiritual impoverishment before a holy God (5:3), who grieves over personal sin and the sins of the city (5:4), who approaches God and their neighbors with meekness (5:5), will also hunger and thirst for righteousness (5:6).
Hunger and thirst for righteousness(Matthew 5:6) is not here a reference to legal righteousness. Rather, it is a reference to moral righteousness – the quality and integrity of our life as God’s people. It is to delight in the truth of God revealed in his Word. As DA Carson points out, we hunger and thirst ‘not simply for knowledge, but growing up and living life to the full with God. It is to hunger and thirst for a life that is the best kind of life in the world to live.’ It is knowing God, loving him, and delighting in being loyal in serving him and those around us.
Social righteousness. Furthermore, a moral righteousness at the personal level will also hunger and thirst for a social righteousness– the welfare of the city (Jeremiah 29:7). We will want to find ways to play our part as citizens of our country in giving voice to concerns about the sex trade and slavery, and to the conversation about marriage – that love only has meaning when it has much more than emotional desires to frame it. We will also want to play our part in helping the materially poor – the hungry and homeless – as well as the asylum seekers.
RESPECT FOR ALL MANKIND
However, given the anti-Christian voices in the wider community, we need to find ways to recapture the respect of others. We so often forget that the Bible speaks about men and women as a unity of body, mind and spirit. Jesus showed compassion for the physical needs of men and women as well as their deeper spiritual needs.
In the same way that Wesley and Whitefield cared for people in need alongside their gospel preaching, we today need to explore effective ways of serving people in need alongside our preaching. I suggest we need more than God’s people simply sending off checks to aid agencies, necessary though this is. We also need personal action.
The twinning of effective gospel, disciple-making ministries together with practical action for people in need, is the major theme at the Anglican Connection conference at the end of next month. If your minister has not yet registered please urge him to do so. The conference is not just for Anglicans. If you are a church member you are also welcome.
Anyone of us who truly hungers and thirsts for righteousness will not be content to drift through life content to satisfy self-serving material interests and desires. Rather, we will have an appetite to see God’s people living more and more God’s way, serving the city.
Continuing with Jesus’ Beatitudes we read: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).
We may be offended when we first read this. To say someone is meek implies they are weak or wishy-washy, timid or indecisive. Does Jesus really mean this? No! The meekness Jesus is speaking about here is not describing someone who is weak. Nor is it to be confused with affability – someone who is just naturally nice and easy-going. Meekness in the Bible goes much deeper. It is a controlled desire to see the interests of others advanced ahead of our own.
We see it, for example, in Abraham’s decision to give Lot first choice in deciding where he would settle his family – on the infertile highlands or the fertile plains. This is the meekness Jesus is speaking about.
TRUE EXAMPLES OF MEEKNESS IN THE BIBLE
Numbers 12:3 tells us Moses was the meekest man who ever lived. In Numbers 12 we read that when his authority was under attack he refused to defend himself. He remained firm in his commitment to the Lord, waiting for Him to act. You may want to read Numbers 12.
But it is Jesus Christ himself who is the supreme example of meekness. Consider the scene when he was put to death. He was naked, exposed to the vulgar frivolity of the crowd. The soldiers taunted him: “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” The scene was vicious and degrading. Yet the extraordinary thing is we don’t hear any vindictive cursing from Jesus. Instead he prays: “Father forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing” (Luke 23:34).
The New Testament continues to stress and exemplify meekness. In 2 Corinthians 10:1 Paul the Apostle uses the example of the meekness and gentleness of Christ to explain the way he endeavored to conduct his ministry. The Corinthians had accused him of being bold in his letters, but weak and timid when he was with them. In their mind he was a weak leader.
HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND?
It’s never easy to address personal accusations without playing into the hands of critics. Whatever tone you adopt, they twist it to their own advantage. If you play it strong or weak, they will only say that you are proving their point. Paul, for his part, responded by appealing to the example of Jesus. ‘My leadership model,’ he said, ‘is the meekness and gentleness of Christ’. The timidity they accused him of was his attempt to emulate the graciousness of Christ. But this didn’t mean he didn’t say some tough things in public and on paper.
If we allow ourselves to feel the impact of all this, it is the more appalling that meekness does not characterize more of us who claim to be Christians. Too often we are more concerned with justifying ourselves than building up one another in our relationship with the Lord Jesus. And at church, we are often more committed to giving our opinion about church or its ministry than we are at reaching others with the good news of God’s gospel. Tragically, meekness has not been a mark of many of God’s people for a very long time.
If, of course, we do try to live out this quality of meekness, our highly secularized and individualistic culture laughs. Society says, ‘Get what you can: You’re a fool if you don’t!’ We’ve created a culture where every individual thinks they are at the center of the universe. This affects how we relate to the seven billion others who operate under a similar delusion.
True meekness. The truly meek see life and relationships through a new lens. ‘Poor in spirit’ they do not think more highly of themselves that they ought to, for they see themselves and everyone else as under God. When, by the grace of God we learn to think this way, we are able to relate more honorably and graciously with others around us.
Subscribe
STAY CONNECTED
Join our mailing list to receive the latest teaching, news, and updates from The Anglican Connection.
You have subscribed successfully to The Anglican Connection mailing list. Look for the Word on Wednesday in your inbox!
