[Mt 5:6] Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
What is righteousness here? He said, hunger and thirst for righteousness. If you look closely at Jesus’ words, you see that righteousness is the Kingdom of God.
[Mt 6:33] But seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
In his words, righteousness refers to the Kingdom of God. So those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are those who wait and hunger for the Kingdom of God. What is the Kingdom of God? It is the Kingdom of righteousness. Jesus is telling us that we should be hungry and thirsty for that Kingdom.
Were you ever starving? It is said that this is the most difficult message to give to people in the U.S. Because unless you experience hunger, you won’t understand it. The place that Jesus gave this Word, and the place where we are standing have a great gap between them. People a long time ago were so hungry. In Palestine, there weren’t that many wells. They were so thirsty and so hungry. So to those who are truly hungry and thirsty, when this message is given to them, it will feel real. So being hungry and thirsty is such an earnest situation. It is such a difficult and hard situation. When you fast, you feel this. You realize food is very important. You realize that being hungry is so hard.
So in the desert, where there is no water, you seek and thirst for water. Just like that when you hunger and long and thirst for the Kingdom of God, then you will be filled. That is what Jesus is saying.
A long time ago, Pastor said, ‘did you ever wet your pillow longing for the Kingdom of God?’ Without that kind of hope and wish, how can you expect to enter the Kingdom of God? That message hit Pastor Borah’s heart. People tend to think of it as so easy. Thinking “I will just go in, just enter the Kingdom of God.” But if that world is truly so precious and valuable, then we do need this kind of thirstiness and hunger.
Thirst and Hunger for the KOG So Jesus is saying, those who truly have this kind of burning thirstiness and hunger for the Kingdom of God is blessed. The ones who truly long and thirst for the world of righteousness will be filled.
Never Lose Hope for the Kingdom When we walk this path of faith and face difficult situations, we tend to just give up. When reality is good to us, we can have hope. But when reality is hard, when everything is difficult, and you have to give up so many things, it is so easy to forget the hope and desire you have for the Kingdom of God. We must be the ones who in whatever situation never lose our hope for the Kingdom. When we are thirsty and truly hope like this, God will not abandon us, He will come to us.
[Isa 41:17] “The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
[Isa 48:21] They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he made water flow for them from the rock; he split the rock and water gushed out.
[Isa 49:10] They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat upon them. He who has compassion on them will guide them
and lead them beside springs of water.
[Isa 55:1]
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
These verses tell us that, to those who are thirsty and hungry, God will not abandon them, but will go to them.
[Pr 21:21] He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.
The one who truly pursues and hopes and longs for righteousness and the Kingdom of God will gain and find life, prosperity, and honor. Jesus said, that person will be fulfilled, and satisfied. God will truly answer that wish, fulfill that wish and hope, and satisfy him.
Remembering this, we need to remember this word and follow the truth, follow the way of Christ. We must first go on towards the Kingdom of God, the righteousness of God. Not worrying about what to eat or what to drink. We should not be filled by whatever we eat or drink, but by the righteousness of God.
[Mt 6:25-33]
25. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
26. Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
27. Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28. And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
29. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
30. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31. So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32. For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Jesus taught us how we should live this life. What kind of way. There is a way to live a life. Birds have a way that they fly, their path, and deer and airplanes. Just like that humans have a way and path. Men must follow that way, follow that path.
Hunger for Kingdom of God Jesus is saying, don’t follow worrying about what to eat or what to drink. There is something more important than that. Go towards the Kingdom of God, and the righteousness of God. Then God will give everything else to you. Don’t be thirsty and hungry for what to eat and what to drink, but be thirsty and hungry for the Kingdom of God.
Live Free Even the birds of the air, God feeds them. Birds don’t store their food in storage. They don’t store up their food. Birds are free. Men are supposed to be more free than birds. So Jesus is telling us, do not get held up by possessions. Aren’t your lives more precious than birds? Your lives are more precious and valuable than lilies and flowers. Jesus is saying, when you follow the way, the truth, then you will find freedom.
[Jn 8:32] Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Jesus said the truth will set you free. When we truly go on following the words of Jesus, we will find freedom. Don’t suffer working for what to drink and what to wear, but be thirsty and hungry for the Kingdom of God.
Becoming Original The English language uses the word “have” a lot. So many people love to have things. You cannot judge a person by how much they have. More important than that, what kind of person are they? The Bible teaches us this, how to become original Man.
Finding Happiness Jesus said, compared to the Kingdom of God and righteousness, everything else will fall away. When you change your priority, then suffering will fall away. Although the way of the truth may be narrow and different from the way of the world, if you go on then it will get broader. Jesus said it will be filled. When you live a right life, then you will find true happiness.