Meekness, and Hunger for Righteousness
Matthew 5:5-6
Last week we started our study of the Sermon on the Mount, which we are continuing this morning, so let’s turn to Matthew 5. If you need a Bible, please go ahead and raise your hand and we will bring a Bible to you. Matthew 5 is on p.809 in the Bibles we are passing out.
The first section of the Sermon on the Mount is called the Beatitudes. And as I read this section this week I noticed something puzzling – which helped me understand what Jesus is saying. Let’s read them –
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Here’s what’s puzzling. Jesus starts off saying – blessed are the poor in spirit – which means admitting that in ourselves – because of our sin -- we can do nothing of spiritual value.
But then Jesus goes on to say – blessed are those who do things of great spiritual value – those who hunger for righteousness, those who show mercy, those who make peace.
It’s like Jesus starts off saying – blessed are those who admit they are paralyzed, blessed are those who do the high jump, blessed are those who do the hundred-yard dash. Wait a minute! If we are paralyzed – how can we do the high jump? How can we run the hundred-yard dash? Can you see why I was puzzled?
The question is -- how can we who are poor in spirit do things which require being rich in spirit? And then I saw it. The order in which Jesus lists these is crucial. Jesus starts with being poor in spirit – and mourning over our sin – for a reason.
When we come before Jesus and admit that we are poor in spirit – and then when we mourn for our sin, turning to trust Jesus to forgive us, save us, help us -- something supernatural happens.
God brings His power upon us and starts to change us. We find that we are growing in meekness, growing in hunger for righteousness, growing in being merciful and pure in heart.
But what happens if we look over this list and say – I think I’ll start with being pure in heart. And then by our will-power we try being pure in heart. What happens? We can’t do it! We can’t do any of these things – unless we start by recognizing that we can’t – we are poor in spirit – and then turning to Jesus in mourning for our sin – and connecting to Him by faith. When we do that – then His power will come upon us and change us and we will be enabled to obey the rest of this list.
It’s like you got some electrical appliance. And you look at the instructions – Step One: plug in the electrical cord. Step Two: hit the twirl button and it will twirl. Step Three: hit the buzzer button and it will buzz. But now what happens if you start with Step Three – hit the buzzer button? Nothing will happen. Because you needed to start with step one and plug it in.
Same with the beatitudes. We need to start every day with admitting that we are poor in spirit – and everything else will follow.
So this morning I want to show you how that works with being meek and with hungering and thirsting for righteousness.
So let’s start with meekness – how does this work for meekness? Read v.5 again --
5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
To be meek means to feel our true lowliness, to feel humble before God and before others. Now be careful here. Lots of people feel badly about themselves – maybe they lost money in the stock market or didn’t get the sale or burned the casserole. That’s not meekness.
Meekness is about who we are before God. Meekness is about my sin before God. It means seeing that since I’ve turned my back on God I in myself deserve only punishment – but that God has shown astonishing mercy in saving me through Jesus. So I am a sinner saved by grace. And when I live in that truth, I will always feel a sense of lowliness before God and others. That’s meekness.
So are you meek? Here’s a couple ways we can tell –
I am meek if I humbly submit to what God brings into my life.
I am meek if I don’t complain about what God does.
I am meek if I humbly listen to correction from others.
I am meek if see every good as an undeserved gift of God’s astonishing grace
I am meek if I don’t protest that I deserve better.
I am meek if I put others first.
I am meek if I don’t hold grudges, don’t get offended, and forgive everyone.
So how are we doing in the meekness department? Are you growing in meekness? I am sure that many of you are. But I am also sure that all of us need more.
But if we in ourselves are spiritually poor – how can we do something as spiritually rich as being meek? We must start with the first beatitude. This is isn’t just something we admit when we are first saved – every day we need to see that in ourselves we are spiritually poor, left to ourselves we are spiritually poor, that apart from Jesus we can do nothing. And we see that in great love God punished Jesus in my place so I can be forgiven and saved. When I pray that, think that, feel that – I will grow in being meek.
Let me illustrate it like this. Let’s go back to the yacht captain illustration. God is like a yacht captain who built a luxury yacht – fitted it out with beautiful suites, filled the galley with the best wines and caviar and carne asada burritos. And he invited us to join him for a pleasure cruise to the Bahamas – all expenses paid.
So we got on – but as we set out to the Bahamas we all suddenly have this passion to be in charge of the yacht. We want to call the shots. And so each one of us together decide to mutiny. And we threw the yacht captain overboard. That’s what all of us have done in rebelling against God.
But now let’s say that the Navy Seals overpowered us and got back control of the yacht – and rescued the yacht captain before he drowned. You are taken to the nearby country, where you are sentenced for 20 years for mutiny. You see how wrong you were – and you head to the prison to serve your 20 years.
But this country has a different justice system, and it allows the yacht captain and his son to do something shocking. The yacht captain and his son both decide to have the son serve your 20 year prison term. So you see the yacht captain’s son heading to prison for 20 years – and you are free.
How would you feel toward the yacht captain and his son? Shocked, yes. But also deeply thankful. And – would you feel lowly toward them? And meek? Yes, you would.
But think also about how you would feel toward others as you walk through the streets as a free man – a free woman. How would you feel? You would be so happy for your freedom – so humbled by your freedom – that you gladly hold the door open for people, you forgive everyone for everything, you bear no grudges, you put others first. That’s meekness.
Do you see how that works? So every day start with the first beatitude – come before Jesus and admit that in yourself you are poor in spirit – morally bankrupt – spiritually penniless – deserving His punishment. And thank Him for what He has done through Jesus. Thank Him, thank Him, thank Him. And then get up from your knees and be meek – feel your true lowliness before God and others.
Henry Martyn was a missionary to India in the 1800’s. Here’s how he experienced this –
When God helps me see the sin of my past, and even my present – how sinful do I appear! Oh that I knew how to be truly humbled. What should I think of myself in comparison to others? I should kiss the dust under their feet when I see my own sinfulness – and be constantly stunned at God and His goodness. (Paraphrased, 141).
When we come before God and admit that we are poor in spirit, we will become meek – lowly – before God and others.
Oh. One more thing. Are you concerned that being meek – putting others first – will cost you too much? Jesus knew you’d be wondering. So look again at what He says –
5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Remember when Abraham and Lot’s flocks grew too big – and they needed to spread out? Abraham was meek – he let Lot choose. Lot chose the lush valley. But then God took Abraham up on a mountain and pointed north, south, east, and west – and said – Abraham – all this – including that lush valley down there -- will be yours.
Was it his? Not in this life. But by faith Abraham – and all of us who trust Christ – are co-heirs with Christ. God is going to give Jesus – and us with Jesus -- the entire earth. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. You will lack nothing for having been meek.
How does this work with hungering and thirsting for righteousness? Read v.6 again --
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
What is righteousness? Sometimes in the Bible “righteousness” refers to how even though we are not perfectly righteous – through faith God clothes us with Christ’s perfect righteousness and responds to us as if we were perfectly righteous.
But I don’t think that’s what Matthew is talking about. Because nowhere in the Gospels does Jesus use the term “righteousness” in that way. In the Gospels the word “righteousness” refers to doing and feeling and living in a way that is actually righteous.
So what does it mean to be righteous? Here’s a summary taken from the Sermon on the Mount. It means --
Not being angry against others.
Not looking at a woman with lust.
Letting our “yes” be yes and our “no” be no.
Turning the other cheek.
Love your enemies.
Give money in secret.
Pray in secret.
Fast in secret.
Lay up treasures in heaven.
Don’t be anxious about money.
Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.
Judge not.
Ask, seek, and knock in prayer.
Whatever you wish others would do for you, do also for them.
Do Jesus’ words.
So there’s a summary of righteousness. And what would it mean to hunger and thirst for righteousness? Hunger and thirst are primal cravings. When you are hungry and thirsty everything else gets set aside until you can eat and drink.
That’s what Jesus is calling us to do – read v.6 again --
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
But how can people who are poor in spirit do something as rich in spirit as hungering and thirsting for righteousness? Again -- the order of the beatitudes is crucial. It’s by obeying the first two beatitudes.
We start by admitting to Jesus that we are poor in spirit. That in ourselves we hunger for entertainment and sex and fame – not for righteousness. And then we mourn before Jesus for our sinfulness. We confess our sinfulness. We repent of our sinfulness. We trust His death on the Cross to forgive our sinfulness. We trust Him as our Savior, and Lord, and Treasure.
And Jesus promises that when we are poor in spirit, and mourn – something will happen. We will be comforted. Which means that we will feel God’s love pouring into our hearts, we will sense His forgiveness coming upon us, we will experience the presence of Jesus in our souls – and we will be deeply comforted.
And when we feel God’s love and nearness we will want only one thing -- more. Because tasting Him reminds us that He alone is all-satisfying. So we want more. And how do we get more? In the path of righteousness. Not as something we earn – but as a gift of grace.
So the comfort of God’s presence stirs hunger for righteousness. That’s what David Brainerd experienced. He was a missionary to the American Indians in the early 1700’s. Here’s what he wrote in his journal --
When I really enjoy God, I feel my desires for Him the more insatiable, and my thirsting after holiness the more unquenchable. And the Lord will not allow me to feel as though I were fully satisfied, but keeps me still reaching forward. (103).
It starts with being poor in spirit before God, and mourning your sin before God – and then when you experience the comfort of God’s presence, because you hunger for more of Him, you will hunger for righteousness.
So if you are tempted to lie. But this morning you admitted to God your spiritual poverty and mourned for your sin and experienced God’s comfort. So you want more of God – you are hungry for righteousness -- so you do what’s righteous and let your yes be yes – and you sense God’s favor – and are satisfied.
You could click on the Sports Illustrated Swim Suit edition. But this morning you admitted to God your spiritual poverty and mourned for your sin and experienced God’s comfort. So you want more of God – you are hungry for righteousness – so you don’t click – and sense God’s presence – and are satisfied.
See how that works?
Meekness, hunger and thirst for righteousness, and everything else in the Christian life starts with admitting our spiritual poverty, mourning for our sin, and experiencing the comfort of God’s love and presence poured out upon us. This is where we need to live every day. So let’s do that now as we take Communion together.