Blessed Are the Hungering and Thirsting for Righteousness (Matt 5:1-6)

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Matthew 5:1-6 (ESV)

5 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

² And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴ “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

⁵ “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

⁶ “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

 

1. Echoes of Mounts Ebal and GerizimDeuteronomy 27 (ESV)

¹¹ That day Moses charged the people, saying, ¹² “When you have crossed over the Jordan, these shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. ¹³ And these shall stand on Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. ¹⁴ And the Levites shall declare to all the men of Israel in a loud voice:…

• Blessings from Mount Gerizim and Curses from Mount Ebal
• Israel failed to obtain that righteousness.
• Altar was on Mount Ebal
• Samaritans set up temple on Mount Gerizim
• Woman and the well point to temple in John 4
• Jesus responds with living water

 

2. Christ is announcing the character of those in the Kingdom as hungering and thirsting for righteousness
3. We are hungry and thirsty for many things
   1. Power
   2. Wealth
   3. Approval
   4. Comfort
   5. Justice
   6. Will they satisfy?
4. Hungering and Thirsting
   1. Present Active Participles
   2. Continuous aspect
   3. Deep hungering and thirsting
   4. Battalion in WW1 20 feet from cisterns
5. Relationship to prior beatitudes
   1. The poor in spirit are those who recognize their spiritual poverty. Christ came to save those who needed him not those who felt no need.
   2. The mourners are those who recognize the depth of their sin in relation to a holy God. They mourn for their sin and the sins of others.
   3. The meek are those who recognize that they have no place for anger or arrogance because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
   4. This leaves us with a hungering and thirsting for righteousness. A desperation that somehow our lack of righteousness will be satisfied by another.  It leads us to Christ who supplies our righteousness in Justification.
6. All of righteousness, not just part
   1. Not partitive gentive but accusative
7. Righteousness not just in justification but sanctification
8. Satisfaction that always wants more
9. Because God is our satisfaction we are free not to press four our own
   1. Loss of property? We shall inherit the earth.
   2. Loss of rights? We will be satisfied by God.
   3. Losing an argument about what someone else thinks is the solution to injustice in this world? We have the freedom to listen and mourn.
10. Satisfaction ultimately in Christ
    1. The temptation of Christ
    2. The feeding of the 5000 and the rejection of Christ in John 6
       1. Hungering and thirsting for Christ – not for food and water.
    3. The prodigal Son
    4. Christ on the Cross – I thirst
    5. Christ risen from the dead for our justification
    6. Christ ascended and sending of His Spirit for our union and sanctification
11. Going into the world with hope
    1. We don’t need to worry about winning
    2. We don’t need to worry about being right
    3. We can fight for justice but know that this world’s justice and righteousness cannot fully satisfy.