The
Fourth Beatitude: The Feast Promised
Scripture Text: Matthew
5:6; Isaiah 55:1-2
“Blessed
are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6)
Three
Classifications of Eaters
I have
worked as a waiter before. I notice that there are
three classifications of eaters. The differences in
their eating habits and the differences in our walk
with God have some parallels.
Firstly,
there are those who seek to placate the senses.
They enjoy dining in expensive restaurants where the
décor is inviting, the service exceptional,
and the food incomparable. It’s an experience
that delights all the senses sight, sound, smell,
touch and taste.
Like the
connoisseurs of fine dining, there are those who seek
to give pleasure to all bodily senses in an attempt
to placate the gap in their souls. Fame, sex, money
and power excite them. While these sensory gratifications
hardly fill the emptiness of their souls, the high
they give is addicting.
Secondly,
there are those who eat to fill their stomachs. They
usually eat anything that tastes good. They enjoy
their food but their main objective is simply to fill
their stomachs.
Similarly,
some of us try and fill the gap with things that make
us feel “satisfied”, but it is only temporary.
Our work, hobbies, and family projects may occupy
our time and make us feel contented but it is fleeting.
Sometimes we lose our jobs, we become bored with our
hobbies and our families break our hearts. When these
things happen we realize we have not fed the hunger
of our souls at all.
Thirdly,
there are those who eat to nourish their bodies.
They watch their diet, ensuring it is low in fat and
carbohydrates, enough to fuel their bodies and keep
them healthy. It is a satisfying experience and one
that gives them power and strength.
Likewise,
there is a way to feed our souls. It does not have
mass appeal but it is healthy beyond compare. It is
genuinely targeted at filling the hunger of our souls.
It is the justice of God, forming our character and
being active in our daily lives.
Today’s
scripture records it as the hunger for justice. “God
blesses those who are hungry and thirsty for justice,
for they will receive it in full.” (New Living
Translation) This is the hungering for, that we are
called to possess.
Deception
into Hungering for Things that Do Not Fill
We have
been deceived about what our souls really need and
led to consume things that are not beneficial or essential
to our survival. Satan crept up onto Eve and said,
“God knows that our eyes will be opened when
you eat it. You will become just like God, knowing
everything, both good and evil.” He lied, just
as he has lied to world telling us that we need certain
things to satisfy our souls. For example, you need
that handsome man or beautiful woman as your lover
or you need that job promotion and recognition by
your boss and colleagues.
We can
fill our lives with many things that don’t satisfy
when we don’t have God in our lives. Some people
search for love and acceptance in the arms of multiple
partners, but meaningless relationships won’t
fill the void. Only God can do that.
A
Call to Hunger and Thirst for Justice and Righteousness
So what is the righteousness or justice that we are
to hunger or thirst after? It is a situation
whereby people are living according to divine law
and are free from guilt or sin. Our
world today certainly has not reached this ideal.
So has God instructed us to hunger and thirst for
righteousness, knowing that it is an impossible dream?
No. In
2 Peter 3:13, it is written “... we are looking
forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised,
a world where everyone is right with God.” One
day there will be no acts of injustice, spiritual
blindness or physical deformities. In heaven we will
be made perfect and righteous in Christ.
Moreover,
there is a feast promised to us in Isaiah 55:1-2:
“Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink – even
if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine
or milk – it’s all free! Why spend your
money on food that does not give you strength? Why
pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me,
and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the
finest food.”
We are
instructed to listen to God so that we may feast well.
By embarking on a path of obedience to Him, we will
enjoy the finest food. In John 14:6, Jesus speaks
of Himself as the provision for humankind to follow.
“I am the way, the truth and the life. No one
can come to the Father except through me”
Prayer
Response:
Heavenly
Father, thank you for helping us to see that it is
only through You that we can feel satisfied to the
very depths of our souls. Through obedience to you,
Father, our future is bright. Help us to pass over
the things of the world that don’t nourish our
bodies and souls. Help us to put our faith and trust
in You alone. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Devotional
based on a message by Rev Joel Yong