Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled

Sermon preached at St. Mark’s, Honey Brook, PA

by The Rev. Thomas C. Pumphrey, Priest-in-Charge, January 30, 2005

Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany (year A): Matthew 5:1-12 (amply quoted below)

Sunday mornings begin early for me, and after hours of busy preparation, somewhere about 11:00 AM, I start to feel the pangs of hunger kick in—I become anxious in anticipation of the fellowship hour when I can grab a donut or a piece of banana bread or some of Danny’s famous clam chowder. Sometimes I begin to feel like a patient waiting for a hospital procedure on a completely empty stomach yearning for even a small breakfast or a cup of coffee.

The feeling is like one of those food dreams—fantasies of Thanksgiving feasts that fill the house with the moist smells of roast turkey basted with rosemary and thyme, dripping with gravy and garnished with mounds of buttered mashed potatoes, candied yams and my mother’s sweet cranberry-orange relish. Or perhaps I’m thinking of the smells of a summer barbeque—lean steak sizzling on the grill, complete with steaming, crisp corn on the cob, and topped off with a hot, freshly baked apple pie, with flaky crust pinched by real fingers around a filling of tangy apples in a sweet syrupy sauce.

Just describing these meals makes my mouth water and my insides moan in anticipation, like a puppy dog by the dinner table. At moments such as these, all my energy seems bent on satisfying that need—on filling that hunger and quenching that thirst. I know that in due time I’ll be better, but until then, my whole attitude seems consumed with satisfying my hunger. Perhaps, as you sit in the pews, listening to my sermons (especially ones that describe delicious food in juicy detail), you also feel something of that driving sensation to answer that great need or desire.

Hold on to that feeling for a moment—hold on to that mouthwatering impulse—that deep desire in your heart. That is what Jesus is describing when he says to his disciples “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

Jesus’ disciples were hungry. They were famished for God’s favor and thirsty for the water of forgiveness and right relationship with God. But they lived in a world where righteousness was a challenge. They were Jews in a pagan world. They were persecuted for their loyalty to God. They faced the disappointment of being cheated by others and oppressed by Roman officials and corrupt Judean kings. The Pharisees, their religious leaders, looked down on them for their legal imperfections, despite their efforts to walk in the ways of God. The first audience for the Gospel according to Matthew was persecuted by the synagogues as well. Righteousness came hard. Discouragement came easy.

Yet these early followers of Jesus were hungry—hungry and thirsty for good news—hungry and thirsty to walk with Jesus and find God’s blessing through him. Jesus also tells them “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs in the kingdom of heaven.” He later says of their righteousness: “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

For Jesus, righteousness is more than just keeping the letter of the law. Righteousness means walking in the ways of God—ordering one’s life according to God’s will. As he talks about righteousness in this ‘sermon on the mount,’ Jesus takes the laws known to his disciples and raises the bar: you have read about adultery, but even your heart should be loyal to your spouse. You have heard about murder, but even your heart should be free of hatred and disdain. You have heard that you should love your neighbor, but you should even love your enemy, for then you will be walking the path of righteousness in your heart. Jesus calls us to a life integrated with righteousness—a whole person love for the will of God and the daily, hourly walk in relationship with God in all aspects of life. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for this kind of righteousness, for they will be filled.

Even in our world, we feel the discouragement of the hunger for righteousness. Many students know the struggle to hold together a safe and healthy passage through life. They know the challenge of avoiding drugs and alcohol abuse in an underground world of peer pressure. They know the challenge of seeking real relationships and real friendships in a shallow world concerned with body image, popularity and the use of other people for cheap thrills.

Business people know the challenge of maintaining integrity in a market of under handed and under-the-table deals. Families have high hopes for the future, but many face broken relationships, festering personal wounds, mistrust and a dim future. People facing the uphill battle of addiction know the hunger and thirst for righteousness not like a warm wish for a fancy dinner, but like a refugee of famine dying for want of a little fresh water. We all know the challenge of seeking time to pray or choosing self-sacrifice in a “me”-oriented world. We face the slow drag of an apathetic response by the world to God and the ways of God’s righteousness.

Jesus’ disciples faced challenges like these, but they too were hungry and thirsty for righteousness—for right relationship with God. They saw in Jesus the foretaste of the feast they desired. In the midst of persecution and hardship, they found great joy and sustenance in communities transformed by the power of Christ’s love. They were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit to heal and defend and sustain their lives with unimagined abundance. Slowly, they would see the impact of the light of Christ in their own communities and in the church as it spread throughout the Roman Empire.

God satisfied their hunger. God quenched their thirst. God saw their deep need and how his grace and forgiveness and providence could fill their deepest desires. Their hunger drove them to a deeper relationship with God. Their thirst drove them to a more self-sacrificial life and a selfless outlook on their neighbors. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for God will surely fill that hunger and quench that thirst.

Are you hungry? Does your soul ache with desire to know the depths of God? Do you sense that inner need for connection to the foundation of our lives, or for a deeper, truer life lived in relationship with God and with others? Blessed are you—Blessed are you who hunger and thirst for right relationship with God, for you will be satisfied—you will be filled.

I am always energized to speak with those who are wrestling with a crisis of faith in their lives. They know their need, they know their hunger, yet the answers aren’t clear or quick or easy. They are searching for God and restless in their soul. I am always filled with joyful anticipation when I hear these stories because I know that God is at work in that person’s life. These are the hungry people—These are the ones who have heard of the lavish feast that awaits them, and their whole life is set on satisfying that need.

These are the people who are hungry for the worship of God and hungry for connection to the Christian community. These are the people who are thirsty for spiritual growth and eager for service. These are the people who rearrange their day to drink from the well of prayer. These are the people who feed on the feast of God’s providence through devotion and dedication and stewardship. Through such hungry people, God changes lives. Through such hungry people God changes families and communities. Through such hungry people, God fills the church with blessing.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.