Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Context: Matthew 5:3-5 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.5“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:7-8 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
From the lexicon: Blessed= the recipients of God’s blessings. Hunger=desire earnestly. Thirst=feel their want of. Righteousness=the condition acceptable to God. Filled=satisfied.
Pulling it together: Matthew 5 tells us the conditions under which God pours out His blessings. The religious leaders of Jesus’s day taught that one could earn God’s blessings by doing their version of the Mosaic Law. However, Jesus sets a whole different set of criteria. God’s blessings come to those who recognize their need (poor in Spirit) for God. Blessed are those who mourn (repent). And God’s blessings come to those who are teachable (meek), willing to hear about their spiritual need.
Verse 6 states this condition: God blesses those who seek (hunger and thirst after) that which is acceptable to God, i.e., His ways, His heart. The verse concludes with the promise that such seekers will be filled.
While we have many seekers in this world today we must ask, what do they seek? Churches are encouraged to be “seeker-friendly if they want to fill their pews. But our verse is clear as to what we need to seek after—God’s righteousness—a righteousness we cannot obtain on our own only through receiving His Son.
Lord, I pray for grace for the relationship that comes from knowing You.