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Christianity Today, September, 2007 |

Reflections

Blessed Are Those Who Hunger

Quotations to stir heart and mind.

Compiled by Richard A. Kauffman | posted 9/10/2007 08:59AM

BLESSED are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Matthew 5:6

IF THIS VERSE is to you one of the most blessed statements of the whole of Scripture, you can be quite certain ...

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Barry Ickes

Posted: September 11, 2007 3:50 PM

I find it appalling to see Matthew 5:6 turned into a social text rather than a description of attitude of those blessed of God concerning their spiritual state. With the plethora of OT & NT texts that address the attitudes of God's people toward the poor, why pervert the meaning of this text by suggesting a social application? That Chrysostom, John R. W. Stott (who should know better), Jim Forest, or Clarence Jordan makes such statements does not mean that their statements are correct. Karl Marx and adherents to Liberation Theology would surely concur with them but is this what the text is saying? It is little wonder that the Church today does not know the Bible, when its leaders teach what the text does not say. Jesus is addressing spiritual poverty.

Byron Nelson

Posted: September 11, 2007 1:49 PM


While all of the commentary included is helpful and offers wisdom, the most convincing interpretation to me is that of Mark Allan Powell, Trinity Lutheran Seminary, who emphasizes these words are to those who hunger and thirst for the day when things are made right, for they are the meek who have no share in this world's resources and they are those who mourn, for they have no reason for joy.

Raymond Takashi Swenson

Posted: September 10, 2007 3:45 PM


In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ is not offering blessings to the random person who seeks righteousness, but in every case the blessings are for those who come to Him, the source of living bread and living water, to have their hunger satisfied. None of the formulas of the Beatitudes work without Christ in the equation.

Hunger versus Self-satisfaction

Posted: September 10, 2007 3:43 PM

Hungering for righteousness is "anticipating" joys of righteousness and the peace it brings to the eyes. Righteousness makes the eyes brighter. Like honey brings sweetness to the hungry mouth so righteousness brings righteousness to the starving soul. But it is also a hunger for the righteousness of our generation. When we are all starving and there is no righteousness among us we all suffer, and our collective starvation makes us all weak and weary. But righteousness is food indeed. Right love; right generosity and right peacemaking all bring happiness to society and our church. But those who are satisfied with their modicum of righteousness in a minimum of affection and adoration for our Lord bring coldness and heartache to churches. No hunger means evil rules and unrighteousness abounds. Lust and desire and greed and hurt will affect churches and fellowship will crumble as more and more people are hurt and wounded and led astray by their insecurities and the insecurities of others.

Graham UK

Posted: September 10, 2007 2:07 PM


Amen

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