Why Are Those Who “Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness” Blessed?

As an itinerant rabbi during His earthly ministry, Jesus Christ gave many sermons about the Kingdom of God. The one recorded in full in the Bible is the Sermon on the Mount, which is found in the Book of Matthew. He begins to list off descriptions of individuals He described as “blessed,” and this list is known as the Beatitudes.

The fourth is “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6). Over and over again in the Bible, Jesus would speak to people in terms of people being hungry and thirsty, but needing something other than food or water to satiate that need.

The desire for righteousness, and the hunger to have a right relationship with God, is the beginning of a walk with God. When Jesus says that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed, He is affirming that people who desire to be righteous – who hunger and thirst metaphorically, for the things of God –are blessed because they are pursuing the right thing.

What Is the Context of This Verse?

The Sermon on the Mount was a sermon that Jesus gave. Itinerant rabbis during the first century usually had a handful of sermons they gave on rotation as they moved from city to city, town to town. Jesus lived as an itinerant rabbi during His earthly ministry, so there is a possibility the sermon was the first given when Jesus came somewhere new. The one that is recorded in the Book of Matthew was at the very beginning of His ministry. He had experienced His forty days in the wilderness and been tempted there, and called His first disciples in Galilee. He began to teach in that region, and a great crowd gathered. He began the sermon with the Beatitudes.

“And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you’” (Matthew 5:2-12).

What Does This Verse Mean?

The specific beatitude “blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” refers to a desire for, “the quality of being morally right or justifiable.” When someone is hungry or thirst, their bodies are giving them strong cues that can be painful, that they need to bring something into their body in order to keep it going. It is not a pang for something unnecessary, but required for their continued existence – an essential.

Jesus is saying it is a good thing, and that God notices, when someone begins to desire to be morally right or justified before God. A want or need to be righteous does not make someone justified. “They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one” (Psalm 14:3). However, recognizing the need for righteousness, having a strong want to become justified before God, can be the beginning of the journey of salvation.

These people are blessed, because they desire a relationship with their Creator. The way to satiate that spiritual hunger or thirst is to go to Jesus. When speaking to the Samaritan woman, Jesus said, “...but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). Salvation through Jesus Christ is the way to provide food that will nourish the soul, water that will fill it, and have everlasting life.

Do We See any Examples of People Who "Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness" in Scripture?

The woman at the well in Samaria was a person who was thirsty for righteousness. Despite living a sinful life, the Messiah came to her, and identified Himself to her, and she responded with joy. Not only did she believe and be saved, but others came to faith because of her testimony.

“Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did.’ So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world’” (John 4:39-42).

Everyone has that hunger or thirst, and this one woman had the blessing of the living water presenting Himself to her.

The most important person who acknowledged the hunger for righteousness, though not in the same way as the previous people, was the Lord Jesus Christ. After He was baptized, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert. The devil went to tempt the Lord after forty days of fasting. Jesus had a man’s body and experienced physical hunger, so the devil tried to tempt Jesus into feeding Himself, and caving into the needs of the body.

“And the tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But he answered, ‘It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:3-4).

Temptation often comes through the desires, and sometimes needs and drives, of the flesh, but eternal substance comes from the Word of God, and the love of God.

How Can We Incorporate This into Our Faith Journey?

For those who hunger and thirst for righteousness who have not repented of their sins, the first step toward having that need satisfied is turning to Jesus Christ and taking those steps to pursue forgiveness. Once someone has started that relationship with Jesus by repenting of their sins, turning away from evil, and submitting one’s life to the Lord by accepting the death and resurrection of Jesus paid the price for your sins, they begin a new life.

The Word of God - the Bible - is a source of spiritual nourishment. Prayer is a time of refreshing and replenishment. Having a consistent, joyful, and intentional relationship will allow a person to feed their spiritual needs with living water and true nourishment. These people will be happy and blessed in eternity, though there will be struggles in this life.

God wants everyone to come to Him and have a relationship, and has put eternity into the hearts of all people. When someone acknowledges their need for God, and desires to be justified before God, that person is desiring the things of Him. Salvation comes to those who want a relationship with God – which can only be had through Jesus Christ – and having His righteousness credited to a sinner.

“...Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:37b-38).

Sources

Walvoord, John F. and Roy B. Zuck. The Bible Knowledge Commentary An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Old Testament and New Testament. United States of America: Victor Books, 1987.

Wilmington, H.L. Wilmington’s Guide to the Bible. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 1981.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Boonyachoat

Bethany Verrett is a freelance writer who uses her passion for God, reading, and writing to glorify God. She and her husband have lived all over the country serving their Lord and Savior in ministry. She has a blog on graceandgrowing.com.