05.25.2025. Sunday Sermon by Pastor Jeungbok Lee
Scripture: Matthew 5:1-6
Title: Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness
**Matthew 5:1-6**
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
When I was in college, the mission organization I was part of held an annual fasting and prayer event from the evening of December 27 to the morning of January 1, with 400–500 students gathered together. During fasting, after about two or three days, you feel an overwhelming hunger and a lack of energy. While fasting, we carried our Bible study materials in plastic bags. Every time we stood up or sat down with those bags, they made a rustling sound. To me, that sound was like the crinkling of a snack bag being opened—specifically, a shrimp cracker bag. One of my friends, during a Bible lecture, wasn’t taking notes on the sermon but instead writing down a list of foods he would eat once the fast was over. He even categorized them by the order in which he would eat them—food for the first day after the fast, the second day, and so on. Finally, the day to break the fast arrived. On the morning of January 1, as we eagerly awaited our meal with mouths watering, the pastor gave a final sermon. Thankfully, it was short, focusing on precautions for breaking the fast. The pastor explained that the key to successfully resuming eating was not to prepare too much porridge. This was because, even after the fast, our stomachs would still signal hunger, leading us to eat more than we intended, which could result in disappointment for giving in to our appetite. At the time, I was living with three friends from the mission group. After the fast, we returned home and cooked enough porridge for three people to eat for three meals. After eating one bowl together, we made a pact: “Lunch is over; let’s not eat any more today.” But by evening, we had to cook more porridge. Why? Because we kept sneaking bites of the porridge throughout the day. Here’s how it went: after eating some porridge, we’d soon need to use the bathroom. Our apartment’s bathroom was a bit far, and to get there, we had to pass through the kitchen. Both my friends and I, on the way to the bathroom, would open the porridge pot and scoop out a big ladleful to eat. And, of course, we’d eat another scoop on the way back. Even after just three days of fasting, our stomachs relentlessly demanded food. From my experience of fasting for five days, I found that the desire for food during the eating period after the fast was even stronger than the craving during the fast itself. The porridge we made was simple, made only with bean sprouts and salt. When we first ate it after the fast, an indescribable appetite surged within us. Even during the fast, when we weren’t eating, the moment we took a sip of porridge, an intense craving for it overwhelmed us. That’s why our pact as three friends fell apart.
When reflecting on today’s passage, “Who are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness?” I thought of my experience during and after fasting, when I desperately craved food and drink. I believe that experience is similar to the state of those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, which is why I shared this example.
### What is Righteousness?
1) **Before discussing righteousness, let’s examine the problems with efforts to create a better world.**
The world is full of chaos, violence, deceit, regional conflicts, and even political strife. Many countries believe education is the enlightened solution to these issues, investing heavily in educating children. Meanwhile, NGOs work to address these problems, and internationally, the United Nations was established to resolve conflicts through dialogue and mediation rather than war. As a result, people’s behavior may improve temporarily due to education or societal influence, and international conflicts may be resolved through mediation. However, these efforts yield only short-term results. Why? Because they fail to address the fundamental problem of sin, causing people to revert to being slaves to sin. If a nation’s leader refuses to follow such mediation, decades of effort can become futile in an instant. This is because education and efforts focused on external change, without addressing the fundamental transformation of the human heart, cannot make the world a better place.
Therefore, those who do not recognize that they are sinners with no righteousness before God cannot become those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
2) **Now, let’s explain what righteousness is.**
Through the Bible, we understand that righteousness is the state of being declared “righteous before God” when we believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior. The standard of righteousness is always determined by God. When we believe in Jesus Christ, God declares us righteous, as our sins are cleansed by the blood of Jesus. This is called justification. After Adam’s fall, all humanity became sinners, and our relationship with the holy God was broken. However, through faith in Jesus, who bore our sins and died on the cross, our sin problem is resolved, and our relationship with the holy God is restored. We are adopted as God’s children and become the righteous people of God’s holy kingdom. However, this righteousness is not achieved through our efforts. It is a declarative righteousness given by God to those who accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, despite having no righteousness of their own. In other words, it is a righteousness declared because Jesus, the righteous one, took on our sins. It is a righteousness freely given by God to believing sinners. As a result, sinners become righteous. Thus, Christians are sinners declared righteous. Even if they sin and cause trouble with fellow believers, they are called saints—holy ones—yet still live lives that fall short of that status.
3) **Saints who have been declared righteous through Jesus Christ are God’s holy people.**
As God’s holy people or children, we must live lives worthy of that status. Each day, through God’s Word, we strive to reflect God’s holiness and become more like our Lord. We must reveal God’s righteousness and live in a way that befits our identity as holy saints. This daily pursuit of a righteous life is called sanctification.
For saints who strive to live holy lives, a hunger and thirst for righteousness arises. Therefore, those who do not acknowledge their sinfulness and their need for a Savior cannot hunger and thirst for righteousness. This longing exists only in those who sincerely confess that they have been saved and made righteous through Jesus Christ.
4) **So far, we’ve discussed righteousness in terms of personal righteousness.**
Through faith in Jesus, we are forgiven of our sins and become righteous, and we strive to live righteously. However, righteousness is not limited to the individual. To understand it more concretely, we should look to the Old Testament. Many Old Testament passages about righteousness refer to actions of justice within the community, particularly toward the poor and oppressed. Restoring the marginalized and powerless to their rightful place and treatment within the covenant community is called practicing justice. Thus, in the Old Testament, righteousness is often paired with justice.
**Psalm 82:3-4**
“Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
**Amos 5:24**
“But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”
Therefore, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are also those who care about the marginalized in society and are concerned with the alienation they face. Jesus, too, was a friend to the weak and the sick, healing their bodies and revealing that He was the Messiah who came to save them, freeing them from slavery to sin. This is the righteousness Jesus practiced.
5) **However, we must be cautious.**
There are those who are not truly hungry and thirsty for righteousness but appear righteous. In the Bible, Jesus sternly rebuked such people—the religious leaders of His time who meticulously followed the law but were hypocrites. These were the Pharisees, condemned by Jesus. The term “hypocrite” refers to those who appear devout and righteous outwardly but whose hearts are far from God’s will. Jesus called their lives “whitewashed tombs.” In modern terms, it’s like buying the latest iPhone, only to find out the seller put an older model inside a new case. How frustrating would that be? The Pharisees strictly adhered to the law and even enforced it on other Jews. However, their hearts were not concerned with God’s true righteousness (showing mercy and compassion). They ignored the plight of the suffering and focused only on keeping the law and condemning those who didn’t. Some modern Christians are like this. They never miss Sunday worship, diligently attend early morning prayers, and give offerings faithfully. Yet, they judge the faith of others who don’t do the same, taking pride in their religious superiority. However, they lack a hunger for righteousness. Such people are like the Pharisees. Sadly, some long-time churchgoers unknowingly adopt this Pharisaical attitude. Therefore, if we desire to live as Jesus’ blessed disciples, we must constantly examine whether our hearts hunger and thirst for righteousness. Those who have fasted can recall the intense desire for food during a fast. Those who have exercised outdoors on a hot summer day can remember the thirst after sweating profusely. I pray that our church members become those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. When we do, God will fill us with righteousness, satisfying us.
**Philippians 2:13**
“For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”
6) **It is crucial for saints to have a longing for righteousness.**
**Ephesians 5:27**
“And to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”
We must hunger for righteousness and live righteously because we are not only God’s holy children but also the bride preparing for marriage to Jesus, our holy bridegroom. On the day Jesus returns, there will be a wedding feast, and all Christians will join as one body, participating as the pure bride of Christ. Therefore, we must live each day with a longing for righteousness, pursuing a life that fulfills it.
Another reason why longing for righteousness is important is that God fills those who hunger for righteousness with even more righteousness.
**Matthew 13:12**
“Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”
The principle we must remember is that the hunger and thirst for righteousness begins faintly. All spiritual principles start small, like the kingdom of God beginning as a mustard seed. The longing for righteousness starts with recognizing our sinfulness, understanding that sin separates us from God. Thus, we mourn our sins, turn away from them, and seek righteousness. God blesses such disciples by filling them with righteousness. As God’s people experience this righteousness, they develop an even greater longing for it, desiring to be filled. God then pours out even greater grace, filling them with righteousness. This is the principle of growing in righteousness. However, those who, in the early stages of faith, become distracted by worldly concerns and settle for mere church attendance lose even the initial longing for righteousness. They become content with regular church attendance, listening to sermons for years, and eventually becoming elders, deacons, or deaconesses. The problem arises when new believers, hungry and thirsty for righteousness, ask them questions, and they don’t know what it means. Worse, they may even teach a hypocritical faith. Our Lord warned that woe would come to such hypocritical Pharisees. Therefore, it is essential for us, as saints, to be those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
**In conclusion**, let us read **Luke 11:9-10, 13**:
“So I say to you: Ask (for righteousness) and it will be given to you; seek (righteousness) and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. … If you then … know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”