Hunger

[dddoo7]

Food was scarce in those days. Mom had taken the last of the bread in the house and divided it among the three tiny, hungry mouths that were begging for food that cold morning. Mom and Dad’s eyes met, and they both knew that if there wasn’t more food soon, they would all be in a very difficult situation. Mom and dad had not eaten the last two days trying to conserve the last of the food for their children. Dad left the house that morning as he always did hoping to find work so that he could buy food for his family. He didn’t have to have a great job or even a consistent one. At this point he would have been happy with just enough work to buy his family enough food for one more meal. One of his greatest fears was that of watching helpless as his children starved.

Most people in our country today have never understood this desperation. Most people in our country have enough food and to spare. Most of us don’t know what it is like to hunger after going without food for two or three days. However, even with all the food that we have available we still know hunger. We know that hollow, pain in our stomach that tells us that it has been too long since our last meal. Not long after that feeling of hunger hits, we will find food to appease the longing desire for food.

Jesus used the illustration of hunger in talking about righteousness. He said, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6) Righteousness is that which is just, that which is good and right. Righteousness is truth and justice. This hunger for righteousness is a deep down longing for that which is true, just, and right. Jesus made the promise here that for all those who hunger for righteousness, they will be filled.

Jesus also mentioned hunger in John 6:35. He said, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” Jesus is the source of life. He is the source of that which is good, right, just, honest, and that which brings eternal life. When we seek for these things in Christ, we will never be lacking of these things. When we seek for righteousness in Christ we will never thirst for righteousness.

Living in this old world in and among the wickedness and evil it becomes easy be swayed to think like the world. When we begin to think like the world, it will not be long and we will no longer hunger and thirst for righteousness. Instead we will develop a hunger and thirst for the things of this world. We will desire the lust and pride that this wicked world values so much (1 John 2:16-17). This hunger leads to death, destruction, and eternal decay. We control our heart and mind. We control our desires and our hungers. The question is, do we hunger for righteousness that leads to eternal life, or do we hunger for this world that leads to death?