ZA MAGAZINE // seek truth.

Today I dive into the fourth Beatitude, given by Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount. This sermon forms a large basis of Christian thought and practice. The teachings of Jesus transcend space and time, so it is important for us to examine and explain His teachings thoroughly. We can gain knowledge and wisdom through the Holy Spirit revealing to us the marvels and wonders of the truth given in the God’s Word, the Holy Bible.

Matthew 5:6
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Just like today, the people in Jesus’ time desired right action and right conduct. They wanted the evil punished and the good guys given accolades. Many people who followed Jesus knew that when Jesus spoke a decision or a truth, it was right, and it worked for righteousness. However, thinking of an action or a person as righteous is sometimes in the eye of the beholder. A righteous act by one person may be concluded to be unrighteous by another.

With this in consideration, we should break down the verse, starting with the use of ‘hunger and thirst’.
Hunger in Greek is peinao, meaning literally to crave or famish for an object or idea. Thirst is dipsao, qhich simply means to be thirsty, but not in the literal sense. It’s easy to understand the words in this context like this. As we crave food and water for our bodies, to keep us alive so also we crave righteousness. Not for our bodily health, but our spiritual health. Righteousness is beneficial not only to those who act in it, as we are called to do in this Beatitude, but also it is beneficial to those who experience it. That right action will breed more right action, and give glory to God who is always acting in righteousness.

However, like I mentioned before, right action is not always the same when considered by two different people. Many Hebrews, such as the Pharisees, were totally against the righteousness being taught by Jesus. Many Hebrews of Jesus’ time were looking for a radical Savior that would save them by overthrowing their overlords, the Romans. Jesus was not this person, because war/rebellion against the Romans was not what Jesus called righteousness.

Let’s move onto the next big word, Righteousness. Righteousness in the Greek is dikaiosune, which means to be innocent, holy, and just. To seek righteousness is to seek justice and holiness! We can see that this does not line up with the righteousness professed by zealots against the Roman authority, nor was it the righteousness as thought by the Pharisees. Righteousness and holiness go hand in hand. Righteousness can be mercy, forgiveness, moral conduct, treating everyone as we would want to be treated, and spreading the Gospel message. Holiness can be prayer, fasting, compassion, loving everyone, and worship of the one true God with all our heart, mind, and strength. When we seek after righteousness and holiness, we are blessed by Jesus. But how are we blessed? This concludes the Beatitude…

Matthew 5:6b
…for they shall be satisfied.

Jesus tells us that we will receive the righteousness, holiness, and justice we seek if we truly hunger and thirst for it. The phrase ‘to be satisfied” is chortazo in the Greek, which means to be filled entirely. This is like no other satisfaction, because it is Jesus who makes this promise. As long as we truly are searching for holiness and righteousness, we will be given it in abundance! It is not unlike other teachings from Jesus said later in the Sermon on the Mount:

Matthew 6:31-34
31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

If we truly are craving, seeking, and begging for righteousness and holiness, it will be given to us in such a large amount that we are satisfied!

This means we should have a strong and continuous desire for progress in religious and moral perfection, the reward of which will be the very fulfillment of that desire, the continuous growth in holiness and righteousness. If we are filled with that desire, through the Grace of Jesus Christ we can obtain it!

Buzz