Blessed are the Hungry

Blessed are the Hungry

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”[1]

“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.”[2]

This combination of one of the Beatitudes from Matthew and a corresponding Blessing and Woe from Luke is particularly interesting. The latter passage from Luke simply addresses those who are hungry, as if needing physical food. The passage from Matthew is more specific, addressing those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. The conclusion to both is that hungry people are or will be blessed because they will be filled. Where one, taken literally, is directed at the physical need for food; the other, taken literally, is directed at a social, emotional, or spiritual need for righteousness. Are they talking about the same need, the same type of hunger? I suspect they are, but some would disagree because the Luke passage does not specify hungering for righteousness. Not that physical hunger is not a serious problem worthy of our attention, but the hunger or thirst for something that physical food cannot sate is a hunger and thirst of a different nature, though not necessarily more dire.

Righteousness, as used in the Bible, refers most often to social justice or societal right-ness. It is meant to address the injustices inherent in the social systems of the day that leave too many with an abundance of societal rewards while leaving too many others in severe lack. Today, the more common understanding of righteousness refers to one’s individual right-ness. It has overtones of arrogance and smugness, having more to do with being personally aligned with the established moral and ethical standards of a specific class of people, for example with today’s religious right, than with fairness and equal opportunity among all members of a larger population. Where righteousness was once a community issue, it is now treated as a personal concern such that behaving unrighteously is treated as an individual moral failing. We might say, “John is behaving unrighteously,” when we see John behaving outside of our expectations for him.

When in Matthew’s account, Jesus specifies those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, he is differentiating the intensity of their desire for societal change from those who simply seek righteousness. When we hunger and thirst for something we act as though our life is on the line, as if we will die of starvation or dehydration if we do not have the lack resolved quickly. So there is a measure of desperation that is not present when one is simply hungry, as in Luke’s account. To hunger and thirst for righteousness as social justice implies that the current living conditions for a significant slice of the population are intolerable. Indeed, in Jesus’ day, the Roman occupation over and domination of the lives of the people of Israel was darkly oppressive. People were treated as less than simply because they were not Roman citizens. Unreasonable taxation, complete submission to Roman authority, and living in constant fear of what might next be required of one contributed to their miserable existence. No wonder so many of Jesus’ followers were looking for him, as Messiah, to overthrow the Romans! And no wonder so many were disappointed to learn that wasn’t the sort of Messiah he would become. These folks may have made up a good portion of the crowds crying, “Crucify him!” What use was a “king” that could not or would not improve their lives by freeing them from Roman oppression?

The appeal to work toward righteousness, as in social justice, is a common one throughout the Bible, including in the gospels from Jesus. Many of the people writing and written about in the Bible were from the bottom rungs of their particular society – the oppressed, the enslaved, the social outcasts. They were seeking safety, stability, and an opportunity to enjoy the fruits of their labors. As such, righteousness was a topic near and dear to them. Those hungering and thirsting for righteousness were desperate for a new social order, and Jesus, through his words in the Beatitudes and the Blessings and Woes, assured them relief was on its way. In retrospect, we know that the type of relief they sought was not on its way any time soon, and arguably if ever.

And so we must wonder: what was the nature of the lack and subsequent filling that Jesus promised? If he were promising food for the hungry, would not starvation have been eliminated by now? If he were promising the elimination of social systems of oppression, repression, and violent expression, would we not live in a more equitable and peaceful world by now? It seems clear to me that Jesus must have been referring to another type of being filled, that a different sort of hunger would be sated. I will explore the possible nature of that hunger next week.

This is the 11^thin a series titled Blessedness and Woe.Life Notes are my explorations into mysteries that interest me. They are invitations for readers to explore more deeply into life’s mysteries. Engage with me or explore contemplative spiritual direction at ghildenbrand@outlook.com.

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[1] Matthew 5:6

[2] Luke 6:21a