In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, ”Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6). As human beings, we develop a “hunger and thirst” for a variety of things. And, many times we will not be satisfied until those needs are met. In a spiritual sense, however, there must this relentless pursuit for righteousness if we are to be the christian person God wants us to be. And this is one of the evidences that we are truly “born again.” No wonder Jesus includes this fourth Beatitude in His Sermon on the Mount.
The child of God constantly needs a filling of Godly righteousness to resist the world, the flesh, and the devil. The yearning for righteousness means there will be “no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires” (Romans 13:14). Righteousness is not only one of God’s great attributes, but it is also His divine provision in the salvation of sinners. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Roman christians, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes … for in it is the righteousness of God revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:16-17). God can only do what is just, right and proper as this is indeed consistent with all His other wonderful attributes.
King David exclaimed, “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you … Then he continues, “My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with with joyful lips. My soul clings to you. Your right hand upholds me” (Psalm 63:1,5,8). What confidence David had in his God whom he could depend on without reservation. Hunger and thirst is a sure sign that christians are truly born again. The unsaved will never have this type of experience. Their hunger and thirst are for the things of this world.
Matthew Henry wrote, “Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness are happy. Righteousness is here put for all spiritual blessings. These are purchased for us by the righteousness of Christ, confirmed by the faithfulness of God. Our desires for spiritual blessings must be earnest.” (Matthew Henry, Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible).
Paul admitted that he wanted to “be found in [Christ], not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law but that which comes from faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith that I might know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death” (Philippians 3:9-10). Obviously, Paul already knew Christ as his Savior as continued to labor for the sake of the gospel. This brings out his ongoing hunger and thirst for the risen, living, glorified Jesus Christ and His righteousness.
So then, we can conclude that the person who hungers and thirsts after righteousness will be filled and blessed. It should be noted that this fourth Beatitude, like the other seven, applies to born-again believers only. Every Beatitude shows what true followers of Jesus Christ ought to be in daily living. Also, this hunger and thirst for righteousness indicates a strong desire for the living God who alone can satisfy the need. That person is not only living in the Spirit, but also walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:25).