The charge is disturbing the peace!

Matthew 5:6

6 ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Most human beings are motivated for something or someone. Ambition, a personal experience of the want for something as vital for life, a seeking for that we do not have; hunger and thirst is a need. Need is not a sin if it’s a human need because that is how we have been created by God.  We need food and water and if we stop eating and drinking we will die; even if we don’t feel hungry or thirsty. The loss of appetite is a symptom that something is wrong with us. In this passage Jesus defines our true authentic human need; righteousness. If our most basic of human need is righteousness and all other needs will go frustrated in some way or another if we do not possess and practice righteousness, then we better understand it well. The discontent and avarice we see in our lives is due to the frustration of the fundamental human need for righteousness. It is here that we make our first mistake. We individualise and personalise righteousness and rename it self-righteousness, the very state that is personally impossible to attain (Romans 3:20).  When Jesus uses the word here in this passage we have to remember He is teaching how He is the fulfilment of Isaiah 61 and that we are called into the inaugurated Kingdom of God.  Righteousness is used three times in Isaiah 61: 3, 10, 11. It means a ‘justice that restores the welfare of community life’. The community of God is based on a series of unilateral, unconditional promises made by God for example to Abraham (Remember the ‘I will’ Statements of Genesis 17). In this community all the injustices of life outside of community are ended. In God’s Kingdom the hungry are fed and social justice reigns; this is the covenant community. Unless we hunger for justice and continue to meet the need then the bread that we eat for physical and spiritual hunger will never satisfy. It matters how we get our bread. It matters that we all eat! Justice comes first. Justice brings peace (Shalom) with God and each other. No justice no peace. Meeting our needs our own way is disturbing the peace; disturbing the ‘Shalom of God’ that is why it is called sin. Read Isaiah 32: 16-20; the outcome of God’s reign through His promised deliverer is righteousness demonstrated in justice and peace. If we would meet our needs God’s way then we must meet them in a just and community restoring way that practices inclusion. We must be hungry for justice and community wellbeing if we are to satisfactorily meet any of our other deficit needs. Do our community of believers practice justice and social inclusion? Our answer will determine if we are blessed! Righteousness (Justice) is credited to us and our community by God through His Grace and He expects us to participate and practice it: this is how we satisfy our ongoing hunger and thirst.