August 4th - Matthew 5:6

Matthew 5:6 “God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.” I wonder when you last felt painfully hungry or thirsty. I suspect for most of us that, if it has ever happened, it is a distant memory. However, it is likely that Jesus’ hearers would have been very familiar with both. Harvests could be good or bad, and it was impossible to achieve a reliable supply of food. Additionally in a hot country people would often have felt desperately thirsty, and finding a good supply of clean water would never have been easy. Jesus wanted his followers to have the same craving and passion for his kingdom to be established as a hungry and thirsty person has for food and drink. Christianity suffers desperately from those who give it merely polite agreement. They live respectable and kind lives and consider that Christian faith is generally a very good thing. Jesus is looking for something completely different. He wants our lives to be dominated by the longing to see God’s will done and for society to be ordered in a way that honours him. In our worship he wants us to express our craving for God’s honour, peace and love to be the experience of everyone in the world. And in our service he wants us to strive to bring his justice and compassion to our society. The wonderful promise is that God will answer the prayers of those who have this passionate longing for his kingdom. For as long as we live on this earth we will be battling against the reality of sin and injustice. They are sadly an inevitable part of a fallen world but, amidst it all, God is working with us and hearing our prayers. Our task is to live so close to God that we never lose that passionate desire for his perfect will. Through reading the Bible, our fellowship with other Christians and our worship we keep alive our longing for the perfect, liberating kingdom of God. Question How hungry and thirsty are you for God’s kingdom? Prayer Dear Lord, forgive me for my half-heartedness. Give me a passionate desire to do your will and to see your kingdom come here on earth as it is in heaven. Amen