The Bible makes it very clear that people of the earth have appetites. But what is not meant by this statement is simply that people want to eat food. While people do want to eat food (and that may be one way our appetite comes into play), when the Bible references appetites, it is talking about much more than that. Scripture says, “The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want” (Prov. 13:25), and again, “He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him” (Prov. 16:26). Scripture continues on by telling of the way that the soul has an appetite (Is. 29:8). Later, in Romans 16:18-19, Paul warns the church to stay away from those who “cause divisions and offences” because they “serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly.”
Ultimately, what is taking place is a war between the flesh and the Spirit. The flesh is at odds with the Spirit, and the Spirit is at odds with the flesh. They are opposed to one another, and each desires your submission. But Jesus said the following as He sat upon the Mount: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be satisfied” (Matt. 5:6). Pulling apart this Scripture by answering the following three questions should lead the reader into a deeper understanding of what this verse means:
• What does it mean to hunger and thirst for righteousness?
• Why should I hunger and thirst for righteousness?
• How should I hunger and thirst for righteousness?
What does it mean to hunger and thirst for righteousness?
Jesus desires that all people would hunger and thirst for righteousness. It should be clear that understanding these words is important. The word “hunger” in the Greek language is “peinao,” which carries the meaning of being famished. This word denotes someone who finds himself craving something else. The word “peinao” even bears the meaning of someone who is starving or longing for something other than literal food.
Jesus also uses the word “thirst,” which in the original language is “dipsao.” This word can be used in either a literal or a spiritual sense. In Matthew 5:6, Jesus is referring to a spiritual thirst. This word can also carry the meaning of being dried out and therefore thirsty. It is as though someone is parched and longing for water.
So there’s the picture that Jesus was seeking to portray. He says this is the way in which you should approach righteousness. The Christian should long for righteousness as though he were in a dry and weary land. As a result, the Christian should be unsatisfied with all other forms of fulfillment.
In the book of 1 John, the Bible says that there are three avenues in which sin travels in the world:
• The desires of the flesh
• The desires of the eyes
• The pride of life
The word “desires” is helpful here. Whatever someone desires reveals his appetite. If you do not like a certain food, say mushrooms, you will not have a desire to eat mushrooms; hence, you will not have an appetite for them.
In the same way that a person can desire godliness, so can a person also desire wickedness. Jesus here informs the crowds and His disciples that they are to desire righteousness. The word righteousness is “dikaiosune.” This word carries the meaning of either a judicial righteousness or an ethical righteousness based on its context. It can mean justification or equity in regards to one’s character.
Jesus desires that the people of the earth would long for God’s righteous character to be made manifest throughout the world.
Why should I hunger and thirst for righteousness?
It is important for the Christian to grow in his appetite for righteousness and fight against his appetite for wickedness. The only way to fight against a particular desire is to combat it with a greater desire. What is being said is this: Say you like peanut butter and jelly. However, your doctor recently informed you that you are allergic to peanuts. But you love peanuts and don’t want to give up your daily dose of peanut butter and jelly. As a result, you find that you continue to eat peanut butter and jelly. This has resulted in your experiencing a number of allergic reactions and even some hospital visits.
Your doctor is baffled at your love for peanut butter and jelly. He warns you that it is bad for you, but this doesn’t seem to be enough. Finally, he gets the bright idea to introduce a food to you that is better than peanut butter and jelly. He tells you about pizza. You go home and try out pizza for the first time, and you fall in love with this new food. Now when you wake up and go throughout your day, you find that your desires for peanut butter and jelly have left and they have been replaced with a new desire… pizza.
This illustration may seem a little foolish, but hopefully you get the point. In everyone’s life, he will find there is a war between the flesh and the Spirit. Sin is bad; people know it’s wrong and that it will harm them. However, their appetite for sin often conquers them. The only way to overcome this tendency is by developing a greater appetite for righteousness. People must do as the psalmist said: “O taste and see that the Lord is good…” (Ps. 34:8).
How should I hunger and thirst for righteousness?
But how can a Christian develop his appetite for righteousness? Four passages can be of help here.
- It is a choice- John chapter 4 is a portion of Scripture in which Jesus travels through Samaria and stops at a well. His disciples want Him to eat food (feed his flesh), but Jesus has other plans. Scripture says, “…My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work” (John 4:34). Jesus was concerned with the will of His Father. If Jesus would have stopped to eat food at this time, it would have gotten in the way of His ministry. Jesus chose the will of His Father (the Spirit) over eating food (the flesh). The Christian must chose to feed the Spirit rather than feed his flesh.
- It involves the mind – In Romans 8:5, Paul tells us the characteristics of a life in the Spirit and a life in the flesh. He tells of the way that those who are in the flesh set their minds on the flesh. On the other hand, those who are in Spirit will set their minds on the Spirit. In order to hunger and thirst for righteousness, the Christian must actively participate in God’s sanctifying work. This is to be done by seeking to fix the mind on the very things that please God.
- It involves the will – In Galatians 5:16, Paul says, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” He already spoke of setting the mind on the Spirit. He now tells the reader to walk in the Spirit. Shortly after this, he tells the Christian what that looks like. Being loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled – These are demonstrations of the fruits of the Spirit, and Paul simply says, “Do these, and you will not feed your flesh.” The less someone feeds his flesh and the more he actively feeds the Spirit, the more he will then grow to hunger after righteousness.
- It takes time – In Galatians 6:8, Paul uses a metaphor that can help the Christian immensely. He speaks of sowing to the Spirit and sowing to the flesh. Paul speaks of each act of righteousness and each act of unrighteousness as being like a seed. This seed gets thrown onto the soil of the Christian’s heart, and over time, it grows. What you choose to sow today may not have an immediate effect, but over time, you will witness the garden that you planted. If you don’t like your garden, it is because you are planting bad seed. Sow to the Spirit and be patient. Crops don’t sprout in a day. But God is faithful, and you will reap a harvest of righteousness.
Final prayer
Father, I thank You for the grace that You have given me thus far. I recognize that there are times in my life when I sow to the flesh. Help me to honor You by sowing to the Spirit this day. In Jesus’ name, Amen