Matthew 5:6 (ESV)
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
The Sermon on the Mount (Recorded in Matthew chapters 5-7) is perhaps the most famous sermon of all time. Jesus, being followed by the crowds as He usually was, decided that having such a large group of people around Him provided a beautiful opportunity to share the truth of the Gospel. Jesus opened His sermon with nine statements that have become known as The Beatitudes. Each of these statements say that God’s people will be blessed (literally translated “happy”) if they display certain behaviors in their lives.
The fourth beatitude is often considered the hardest to understand. For instance, the ones proceeding it talk about the humble, the mourning and the meek. In verse six, Jesus talks about the importance of “hungering and thirsting for righteousness.” As is the case with all of the beatitudes, there is a promise that follows the action. If we hunger and thirst for righteousness, we will be filled.
But what does it mean to thirst for righteousness? Understanding what Jesus was saying is an important aspect of getting the most out of the Sermon on the Mount and living our lives according to His Word.
Thirsting for Righteousness
Have you ever been thirsty? Not just a little parched, but truly thirsty. In a physical sense, the human body requires a considerable amount of water to function correctly. Science also indicates that the average person can only exist for around 72 hours without water. While humans can go weeks at a time without food, three days is essentially the limit for time without water. In the same vein, Jesus said that we should have a constant stream of righteousness.
Speaking Biblically, righteousness is defined as being in a state of right-living with God. It means that we live our lives according to God’s Word. It means that we seek His will and gain a better understanding of what He wants for us. At its root, the Biblical definition of righteousness means that we are living Christlike lives in our pursuit of God’s kingdom on earth.
When Jesus said that we should hunger and thirst for righteousness, He was essentially saying that we should constantly strive for ways to live a more Christlike lives. This pattern of living includes our actions, our thoughts and every aspect of our being.
When we have a thirst for righteousness, it means that we are actively seeking ways to live a Godlier life. That involves spending time in His Word every day so we can gain a deeper understanding of His will for us. It means that we connect to a local body of believers and allow our faith to be increased through the preaching and teaching of God’s Word (Romans 10:17). It also includes treating others in a way that is pleasing to God. Righteousness is living a life according to God’s Word. Thirsting for that righteousness means that we are constantly looking for ways to increase the righteousness of God in our own lives.
The Woman at the Well
In John 4, we read a beautiful story about a waiting Savior and a thirsty woman. The woman’s reputation proceeded her. That’s probably why she was at the well in the middle of the day. In ancient times, women would go to the well closest to their city early in the morning or late in the evening. Why? Because those were the two coolest times of day. The fact that the woman we meet in John 4 was there in the middle of the day is very telling.
Jesus had sent the disciples into the city to buy food and He sat down on the well. As was always the case with Jesus, He did this with a purpose. Yes, He was 100% human and was tired from His long walk (John 4:6-8). However, He was also 100% God and knew that a woman was going to be coming to the well during the hottest part of the day. When she arrived, His request was simple. Jesus looked at the woman and said, “Give me a drink of water.”
There were multiple barriers that Jesus was breaking. First of all, there were racial tensions between the Jews and the Samaritans. The Samaritans were the product of Jewish captives who had married into the other cultures that took them captive. This led to a multigenerational racial divide that caused the Jews to want nothing to do with the Samaritans. It was also uncustomary for a Jewish man to speak directly to a woman, regardless of her race.
The woman was taken aback by Jesus’ request for multiple reasons. So much so that she said, “Why would a Jewish man ask a Samaritan woman for a drink?” Jesus, pointing to the real purpose of this visit spoke to a thirst that she had.
John 4:10 (TPT)
Jesus replied, “If you only knew who I am and the gift that God wants to give you-you’d ask me for a drink, and I would give to you living water.”
Jesus recognized that this unnamed woman had a thirst. It’s entirely possible that she didn’t even recognize this thirst herself. She had tried to quench this thirst on her own over the years, but she still found herself alone, friendless and thirsty.
On the surface, we can recognize her physical thirst. She was at the well because she needed water. The science behind needing water to live hasn’t changed over the thousands of years of human history. This woman was getting the water that she needed in order to live. However, she also had a deeper, more serious thirst. Jesus waited on her at the well to point that thirst out and to offer the solution to her problem.
Over the course of their conversation, we find out why this woman was at the well alone during the heat of the day. She had been married and divorced five times and was now living with a man who wasn’t her husband. She had attempted to quench the thirst inside her with the affection and attention of men. However, Jesus pointed her to His well of living water that would flood her with eternal life through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit (John 4:14). The woman, so overjoyed by the fact that she had finally found the relief that she had been longing for, ran into the city and told everyone about the Man who was sitting at the well. She accepted His offer of righteousness, and so did countless others.
Our natural reaction to this inward thirst is to quench it through other means. Some of us, like the woman at the well, may try to relieve this thirst through romantic relationships. For others, it’s being so career oriented that we believe that financial success will quench the thirst. In more dangerous cases, some people attempt to alleviate this inward thirst through the use of drugs or alcohol.
While the methods may change, the result is always the same. Temporary fixes leave us feeling thirsty again, just like Jesus told the woman at the well that her physical water would (John 4:13). That is why Jesus pointed the woman (and in turn, points us) to the well of righteousness that He offers us. When we drink of His well, we will be filled.
Has it been a while since you made a trip to His Well? Allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you. Acknowledge the fact that you’ve tried to quench your thirst with other things and shift your focus onto thirsting for God’s righteousness. When we are thirsty for His presence in our lives, His power on display and His life-giving Holy Spirit, we will be filled.
A Closing Prayer:
God, you know the ways that I have tried to quench my own inner thirst. I understand that these attempts were going to provide a temporary relief at best. At worst, those attempts at quenching my own thirst could have left me alone and empty like the woman at the well. God, help me to thirst for You and Your righteousness every day. In Christ’s name I ask these things, Amen