"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied"
Again Jesus surprises with his pronouncement that a deep desire for righteousness is a key component of a successful life. All the other literature says a deep desire for money, power, fame, or pleasure is the key to a blessed and or successful life.
Notice that the emphasis is just as much upon the level of desire as it is upon the object of desire.
We must desire righteousness as opposed to immorality or personal selfishness. Fundamentally we must want things to go right – what is right in order to have a truly blessed life.
We have all seen the people who have had all the power, money, pleasure, and fame and have not lived a blessed life. In fact a high percentage of those who have all those things are miserable in their soul. The object of our labor here on earth must be loving, deep relationships for yourself and others. This is righteousness.
It is also important how badly you want righteous relationships. Jesus says it needs to be at hunger and thirst levels. Jesus basically says that our lives will not be fully blessed or successful until we are 100% committed to developing loving relationships and helping others have them too. Each person is wired to oppose certain unrighteousness and to advance certain forms of righteousness.
For they shall be satisfied is a key phrase that carries significant meaning. It means that when the rest of the world is pursuing money, sex, fame, power, and pleasure, the Christian seeks the righteous action. It is that person who will be emotionally satisfied. There is a hint that this satisfaction is both in heaven one day and in this world right now. It is the person who is doing what they can that will have the internal satisfaction that they are doing all they can. And they understand that those who gain everything else in the world but have no soul satisfaction realize all the other stuff is worthless without inner peace.
Until tomorrow,
Gil Stieglitz