Live Hungry: The Pursuit of the Kingdom Life
“Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (vs. 6a), or those who have a deep spiritual hunger. This type of hunger and thirst is in contrast with the pagans, who pursue the material world over the spiritual world (Matt. 6:33). So, what is the goal of their pursuit? Jesus calls it “righteousness”.”
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
Matthew 5:6 (CSB)
A New Beginning
Several months ago, the Lord transitioned my family and me to a new assignment back in my home “country” of Texas. As we left one church to serve another in pastoral ministry, we left a wonderful church family that we had invested in for the past 11 ½ years, helping to create a disciple-making culture and seeing countless lives transformed to follow Jesus. It was hard to leave but exciting to be a part of what God was calling us to do in a new context.
Once we arrived, we started the difficult process of learning the rhythms of a new city and church. From finding a new home, identifying the local retail stores, and mapping the best routes to the church, to other general navigation necessities when moving to a new place, we began the arduous process of “getting our feet on the ground”. The same has been true at church. We have had to learn new names, how families relate (btw, a great place to start is to assume that everyone is related to everyone!), the cultural history and artifacts that will either hinder or help ministry in the future, the rhythms of the church calendar, and connecting to and relating to the staff and church leadership. It has been a great journey so far with a wonderful, accepting, and loving church family.
One of the first things that the church did for us was give us what is called a “pounding.” For the uninitiated, this is not some kind of pugilistic warning not to mess up the church we had come to serve. In traditional American southern church culture, a “pounding” is when the church members provide the new pastor and his family with an overwhelming amount of canned goods, mixes, spices, and other assorted foods and kitchen items to fill their pantry as they move into their new home (most of these items are not expired, but there are always some exceptions!). But our new church put a spin on the traditional “pounding” by providing gift cards for our family. No, really. A ton of gift cards! It was amazing. Let me just put it this way. I was able to buy all new lawn equipment, stock our pantry for months, and eat out until Jesus returns! What an amazingly generous church!
As I begin to build relationships and lead our staff and people, a common theme is emerging, one of a deep spiritual hunger. Over and over people have approached me testifying to a deep desire to grow in their walk with Christ and help others to do the same. Some have indicated that they had been praying for years for an opportunity to dive deeper into what it means to be a disciple but had not had or taken the opportunity to do so. As we begin to provide such opportunities, I have seen significant emotional and physical reactions to the possibilities of what God might do in individual lives and for us as a congregation.
I think this begs some questions.
What is your spiritual hunger level, or if you serve in ministry, of the people you lead? Are your/their pantries empty or full?
If you could rate your life or ministry on a scale from 1-10, with 1 being spiritually anemic and 10 being spiritually nourished, where would you fall?
Do you or your ministry desperately need a spiritual “pounding” to fill the empty shelves of your life so that you might experience Jesus in a new way and walk more faithfully with Him?
A New Way To Live
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus outlines a new way to live. He is taking what had been taught in the past and adulterated by the scribes and Pharisees and lays out a new path in light of him being God’s promised Messiah. As such, the first twelve verses of Matthew 5 describe the character of someone who desires to live life in the kingdom of God. The word “blessed” is used nine times in this text. It has been translated to mean “happy” or “fortunate”, but I think a better translation of the Greek word makarioi is “to be fully satisfied” or “to flourish”, and refers to those receiving God’s favor, regardless of the circumstances. So, to be “blessed”, then, is anything God gives that makes us “fully satisfied” in him. The result is the shaping of Christian character. So, Jesus provides eight areas of blessing that will lead us to develop the character of the kingdom of God. The fourth characteristic of a kingdom disciple that he describes is one who has a deep hunger and thirst. Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (vs. 6a), or those who have a deep spiritual hunger. This type of hunger and thirst is in contrast with the pagans, who pursue the material world over the spiritual world (Matt. 6:33). So, what is the goal of their pursuit? Jesus calls it “righteousness”. Righteousness in the Bible has three aspects: legal, moral, and social. Legally, Christ-followers desire to be justified or to be right with God. Morally, Christ-followers desire right character and conduct that pleases God. Socially, Christ-followers seek to liberate others by exerting justice and being a witness for Christ in the greater world. The resulting promise is that “they will be filled” (vs. 6b), or “satisfied”. In other words, those who pursue righteousness will find their desire “fully satisfied” by God himself.
Recently, I watched a documentary that our worship pastor recommended to me.1 It is the account of the USA for Africa recording session in 1985. If you weren’t around in the late 20th century, there was a devastating famine in Ethiopia in the mid-80s. Artists from around the world took up the mantle to make a difference and ended up raising over $170 million in aid relief for those in Africa. The USA for Africa session, culminating in the song We Are the World, raised $20 million of that amount and became the 9th largest-selling single of all time. The late-night session happened on January 21, 1985, immediately following the American Music Awards in Los Angeles, California. Producer Quincey Jones famously wrote a sign and put it over the main door of the studio that said, “Leave your egos at the door.” Of course, with so many artists arriving at the session from the AMA’s, ego was not in short supply. After getting assembled, there was an abundance of laughing, joking, and jockeying for position. It wasn’t until Band-Aid and Live Aid creator Bob Geldof stepped up to the microphone that everything changed. He thanked them for their attendance and donated time, but quickly transitioned to the purpose of their gathering, to produce a record that would raise the money to save lives. The room grew silent, and the work began. Throughout the night tensions rose and fell, as did the egos, but by morning the track was finished and a different mood permeated the space, one of gratitude and fulfillment in accomplishing something bigger than themselves. Motown legend, Diana Ross, began to cry. When she was asked if she was alright, she responded, “I just don’t want this to end.”
Live Hungry
Something similar happens when Christ-followers begin to hunger and thirst for righteousness. When we come to Jesus to follow him as his disciple, we come with all our emotional baggage, self-indulgence, worldly awards, and egos intact. But quickly we understand that we must leave all of that at the door if we want to follow him. In fact, Jesus said, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Once we do that, responding to his grace by a response of faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), we embark on a life of being his disciple. It is then that we will begin to see that nothing else will satisfy us other than Jesus. Sure, there will be times of spiritual dryness, confusion, and even doubt, but that does not mean that God is absent. It simply means that we are in the process, in good times or bad, of being formed into the character of a kingdom disciple. As we do, the Holy Spirit will begin to allow us to see the spiritual hunger around us, which is God’s invitation for us to join him in helping meet that need.
So, some questions…
How hungry and thirsty are you for righteousness? Are you in a season of seeking or a season of doubt? Will you ask God to do a work in you and to give you a deep desire for him over all else? I love the Psalmist's response to this. Psalm 42: 1-2, 5 says, “As a deer longs for flowing streams, so I long for you, God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and appear before God?… Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God.”
Are you being attentive to the spiritual hunger around you? Once you realize the need, are you taking steps to help meet the need? How might you start to invest in the lives of others so that they will grow toward spiritual maturity and find their full satisfaction in Jesus?
FOOTNOTES
1 “The Greatest Night in Pop”, Netflix, January 29, 2024.
