The Hunger Cycle

Beatitude Four: Hunger and Thirst

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6 (NIV)

This is the fourth beatitude from the Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus was preaching to a multitude which was fed with the blessings from the 5 loaves and 2 fish, a miracle in itself.

This morning in service, Bro. Chester shared statistics on World Hunger.  Prefacing his recount with the statement that "Hunger is the greatest motivation in the world."

A few statistics borrowed from the UN website:

Hunger is the number 1 health risk in the world today, that is more than aids victims, malaria sufferers, and tuberculosis carriers combined.

There are approximate 900 million to 1 billion people hungry in the world. That is the equivalent to the population of Canada, the US, and the European Union states combined.

1 in 7 people are hungry at any given time

1 in 4 are children

15 million children, alone, die each year from hunger 


Most everyone in the US has sufficient food and water sources, so most of citizens don't know what it is like to be truly hungry, or thirsty.  So, we really can't relate to this level of physical suffering.

In Jesus day, meat was only eaten, on average, once a week.  And, water supplies were rare.  That is why someone owning a well, or the mention of a well, in the Bible was such a big deal, or "hot commodity" as Bro. Chester shared.


Hunger and Thirst are Signs of Life  - the dead know no hunger.

For many customs, burying the dead with food and beverage stores are quite common; however, if the tomb is opened, one will see that those items are still there, totally unused by the dead.

So, to be hungry, and/or thirsty is to truly be alive.  We have to meet those physical requirements to remain alive.  Spiritually, those requirements are necessary to spiritual living, and growth.  We should be hungry, and thirsty after spiritual things.

All too many people are hungering and thirsting, but are seeking that fulfillment through worldly means, or temporary filling instead of eternal filling.  It is the religion of instant gratification.  (sex, drugs, alcohol, and other extreme obsessions) None of these things bring inner satisfaction or peace with God.


Our number one need is to Know God - we need to crave righteousness

We are legally disqualified to be justified as sinners.   But, through Jesus sacrifice, and the fulfillment of the atonement plan God enacted, God can create a new heart, and we can be justified into righteousness.  Jesus took our sin for us.

When we hunger and thirst, we are satisfied for the moment, but that hunger and thirst returns.  So, should our spiritual hunger return.  We should never be satisfied with our current level of personal, moral and spiritual status.  It should always be wanting more, and growing in God's Grace.

We, also, should desire to see our society growing in a positive way.  Leading by example, doing what is right and good should be our lifestyle.  And, we should be burdened with the lack of Godlessness in our society.  We should be world Christians and missionaries in our own community and ambassadors for Christ.


Hunger and Thirst grow from a need from poverty, mourning, and meekness - the first 3 Beatitudes.

We should ask ourselves:

1 - How much do we want to perform God's will?  We must deny our own will, but to what extent?

2 - Are we asking half-heartedly for repentance, and living a life of righteousness?

3 - Are you asking yourself what happened to your passion and desire for God?

If we constantly desire to please Him, we will constantly be filled.

Bible verses to study regarding this topic

Galatians 6:9

2 Peter 1:5-8

Romans 5: 1-5

Matthew 6:33

Beatitude Two: Mourning

Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.  Matthew 5:4

This is the second beatitude from the Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus delivered this sermon which was proceeded by the miracle of the five loaves and two fish, which Jesus blessed and fed the multitude having 12 full baskets of food left, one for the disciples. 


Pastor Chester, or Brother Tony, started off the sermon sharing the daunting task of informing a family that their son had been killed in a construction accident at work, and the heaviness and despair he felt in having to do so.  His emotions were high, and he was weeping even retelling the story.  I could only think of our Sweet Raymond and his accident which claimed his young life.  But, PRAISE GOD!, each of these two young men are now in heaven and in a perfect relationship with God the Father, His Son, our Savior, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit; not to mention family, friends, biblical saints, and others.

Mourning comes from the Greek word ###, (I couldn't remember it), and it means an ultimate devastating loss.  Here, I was distracted by the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and the father saying that all language can be traced by to its Greek roots, which is why I actually missed the word itself.  Satan does everything he can to knock you off track, huh!?

Bro. Tony equated that loss with the loss Jacob felt when the brothers brought Joseph's coat covered in sheep's blood, when in actuality Joseph had been sold into slavery by his brothers.  Jacob's heart was broken, and was experiencing utter, devastating loss, and grief for his beloved, and favorite son.

Echoes of the Loss of Eden - Humanity's journey from Bliss to Grace.

God had created man and woman to walk in perfect harmony, and communication with Him, and because humanity chose to turn from that perfection and exercise free will, humanity lost its intended relationship with our Creator, Father God.   This is the ultimate loss, and the main reason to mourn.  Sin has broken the relationship between God and Man.

Man has the need to ignore loss, despair, or any other negative emotion.  We tend to run from it, hid from it, and package it in pretty paper just to keep from experiencing it.  But, if we do not allow ourselves to mourn, we can not experience the blessing of comfort.  Comfort from God results in Supreme Joy, and human happiness.

One thing worse than sin - denial of sin

When we deny that we are sinful by nature, and we do not sin, or maybe even sin just a bit, but not as bad as some other people, we make forgiveness impossible.

We truly must mourn our sin, and confess and repent that sin to our loving and forgiving God, through Jesus Christ.  Once we do that, we can be we forgiven and cleansed from our unrighteousness.

Just as the Prodigal Son's blew the blessings of inheritance his father had intended for him, so we squander and blow the blessings of inheritance our Heavenly Father bestows upon us.  God's love and forgiveness is SO much greater than we can possible imagine.

Revelation to Genesis - No occasion of loss and mourning is the final word!

We can be restored to the beginning.  Just as our tears will be wiped away in eternity, those tears can be wiped way on earth.  Glory! IS the final word.  If we mourn the right loss, every loss will be comforted. 

Jesus was distressed during the Sermon on the Mount because some came just for food, and fellowship, but not the meat of the message, and fellowship with God himself.  Are we like that?  Do we live our lives for the fellowship of the Saints, yet ignore the need for living water, the meat of the Gospel?

Isaiah 61: 1-2 (reference verse here)

The Year of the LORD’s Favor

 ¹ The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn.    Taken from Biblegateway.com

In closing

Fortunately, God has sent Jesus, His Son, as away of reconciliation with God.  Our repentance of sin and accepting that Jesus is the only way back restores that link, and reconciles us to God the Father, our Creator.

We must truly recognize our sin, seek repentance, and accept the blessing of comfort for mourning the extent to which we have offended our Creator.  Yes, comfort is a blessing bestowed upon us for true mourning of sin, and repentance.  Until that time, our loss and any subsequent loss can not be comforted.

Don't miss out on your blessing.

Sermon recap from The Beatitudes Series, Rev. Tony Chester, Far Hills Community Church, Feb 19, 2012
www.farhills.org