Matthew 5:1-12 - Stay Hungry

Your spiritual life can be measured by your appetite.

Bible.com

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Matthew 5:1-12 (NIV)

CONTEXT:

4:23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.

5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.

He said:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

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Canons of Dordt

Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election

Articles 1-11

Article 12: The Assurance of Election

1. Assurance of their eternal and unchangeable election to salvation is given to the chosen in due time, 

   1. though by various stages

   2. and in differing measure. 
      

2. Such assurance comes 

   1. not by inquisitive searching into the hidden and deep things of God, 

   2. but by noticing within themselves,

      1. with spiritual joy and holy delight,

      2. the unmistakable fruits of election pointed out in God’s Word—

      3. such as

         1. a true faith in Christ,

         2. a childlike fear of God,

         3. a godly sorrow for their sins,

         4. a hunger and thirst for righteousness, and so on.

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Summary

When we start reading the Beatitudes in the last paragraph of chapter four rather than just jumping in at the beginning of chapter five, the sharp contrast between what Jesus was teaching and the condition of the world around Him becomes so much more apparent. Matthew records Jesus teaching throughout Galilee, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness. As word of Jesus' healing power goes out, throngs of those who were ill with various diseases, suffering severe pain, demon possessed, with seizures and paralysis come to Him in hopes of being healed.

It's to these miserable people who surrounded Him that Jesus begins to preach about what a happy life looks like. The major English Bible translations don't like that word - they instead render it blessed, and not without good reason. In modern English, “happy” primarily conveys an emotional state—a fleeting feeling of pleasure or contentment, whereas the Biblical word translated blessed carries a deeper sense of spiritual well-being and divine favor, which is not necessarily tied to temporary emotions.

But still, the stark contrast between the misery of life in this sin cursed world and the true life Jesus came to provide for those His Father gave Him is clearly evident in this passage. But if you read this passage in a Bible that contains footnotes or cross references, you'll quickly notice that this contrast Jesus presents is nothing new. Nearly every one of these Beatitudes Jesus mentions are rooted in Old Testament passages.

So it's not a stretch to summarize the entire passage as blessed [happy] are those who live according to God's Word.

  Dig Deeper  

Of course it's v6 that brings us to the Sermon on the Mount today. The Canons mentioned this hunger and thirst for righteousness as one of the key indicators you can look for in your own life as certain assurance of your election. So it's important to understand exactly what Jesus means here as He echoes the Old Testament (Psalm 42:2, 63:1, Isaiah 55:1-2, contrasted in Amos 8:11-14).

D.A. Carson summarizes well what it means to hunger and thirst for righteousness,

These people hunger and thirst, not only that they may be righteous (i.e., that they may wholly do God’s will from the heart), but that justice may be done everywhere. All unrighteousness grieves them and makes them homesick for the new heaven and new earth—the home of righteousness (2 Pe 3:13). Satisfied with neither personal righteousness alone nor social justice alone, they cry for both. In short, they long for the advent of the messianic kingdom. What they taste now whets their appetites for more. Ultimately they will be satisfied without qualification only when the kingdom is consummated.

AAA Prayer (About)

• ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who sent His Son to transform our misery into blessedness;

• ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will truly hunger and thirst for righteousness in every realm of life;

• ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

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Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Hebrews 13