Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

OT Lesson: 2 Kings 7:1-20 (NLT)

Elisha replied, “Listen to this message from the Lord! This is what the Lord says: By this time tomorrow in the markets of Samaria, six quarts of choice flour will cost only one piece of silver, and twelve quarts of barley grain will cost only one piece of silver.” The officer assisting the king said to the man of God, “That couldn’t happen even if the Lord opened the windows of heaven!” But Elisha replied, “You will see it happen with your own eyes, but you won’t be able to eat any of it!”

Now there were four men with leprosy sitting at the entrance of the city gates. “Why should we sit here waiting to die?” they asked each other. “We will starve if we stay here, but with the famine in the city, we will starve if we go back there. So we might as well go out and surrender to the Aramean army. If they let us live, so much the better. But if they kill us, we would have died anyway.”

So at twilight they set out for the camp of the Arameans. But when they came to the edge of the camp, no one was there! For the Lord had caused the Aramean army to hear the clatter of speeding chariots and the galloping of horses and the sounds of a great army approaching. “The king of Israel has hired the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us!” they cried to one another. So they panicked and ran into the night, abandoning their tents, horses, donkeys, and everything else, as they fled for their lives.

When the men with leprosy arrived at the edge of the camp, they went into one tent after another, eating and drinking wine; and they carried off silver and gold and clothing and hid it. Finally, they said to each other, “This is not right. This is a day of good news, and we aren’t sharing it with anyone! If we wait until morning, some calamity will certainly fall upon us. Come on, let’s go back and tell the people at the palace.”

So they went back to the city and told the gatekeepers what had happened. “We went out to the Aramean camp,” they said, “and no one was there! The horses and donkeys were tethered and the tents were all in order, but there wasn’t a single person around!” Then the gatekeepers shouted the news to the people in the palace.

The king got out of bed in the middle of the night and told his officers, “I know what has happened. The Arameans know we are starving, so they have left their camp and have hidden in the fields. They are expecting us to leave the city, and then they will take us alive and capture the city.”

One of his officers replied, “We had better send out scouts to check into this. Let them take five of the remaining horses. If something happens to them, it will be no worse than if they stay here and die with the rest of us.”

So two chariots with horses were prepared, and the king sent scouts to see what had happened to the Aramean army. They went all the way to the Jordan River, following a trail of clothing and equipment that the Arameans had thrown away in their mad rush to escape. The scouts returned and told the king about it. Then the people of Samaria rushed out and plundered the Aramean camp. So it was true that six quarts of choice flour were sold that day for one piece of silver, and twelve quarts of barley grain were sold for one piece of silver, just as the Lord had promised. The king appointed his officer to control the traffic at the gate, but he was knocked down and trampled to death as the people rushed out.

So everything happened exactly as the man of God had predicted when the king came to his house. The man of God had said to the king, “By this time tomorrow in the markets of Samaria, six quarts of choice flour will cost one piece of silver, and twelve quarts of barley grain will cost one piece of silver.”

The king’s officer had replied, “That couldn’t happen even if the Lord opened the windows of heaven!” And the man of God had said, “You will see it happen with your own eyes, but you won’t be able to eat any of it!” And so it was, for the people trampled him to death at the gate!

NT Lesson: Matthew 5:6 (NRSV)

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

Sermon

Introduction

Good morning! What a lovely day it is today. Last Wednesday, the temperature dropped significantly, bringing us this pleasant weather we have been enjoying ever since. It is interesting that last Wednesday was Ip-chu, one of the twenty-four solar terms in the traditional Asian calendar, marking the beginning of autumn, on which very day the temperature in Indiana dropped. Is it coincidence or wisdom of ancient people? I love this kind of weather—perfect for driving with the windows down. It is ideal for the outdoor activities, which I do not engage. The cooler air means the house A/C is not running as much, and there is no need for heating yet, so my energy bills will be more reasonable. This is truly one of my favourite times of the year, and I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am. If we were in Korea, I would suggest you to visit Ansan Ginko Tree Road. If we were in Canada, I should remind you that in six weeks the whole world will be covered with snow, but here in central Indiana, I do not have to.

I apologise for the length of today’s Old Testament reading. Usually, I only include a few verses, but today and last Sunday, I decided to read entire chapters. However, these passages are so rich and engaging that I hope you found the dramatised reading, with all the wonderful voices, as enjoyable as I did. Thank you all who volunteered in the Old Testament reading.

Sermon on the Mount

Let us begin with the New Testament. We are currently exploring the Beatitudes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew. In today’s passage, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” We find a similar verse in the Gospel of Luke: “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.” While these two verses are alike, they have slight differences. Matthew 5 and Luke 6 both present Jesus’ teachings, but with some variations. For instance, in Matthew, Jesus is preaching on a mountain, while in Luke, He is preaching on a plain. Additionally, the sermon in Luke is much shorter than the one in Matthew, and the wording differs.

This raises a question: which account is correct—Matthew or Luke? Among the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke share many similarities in content, wording, and perspective, which is why we refer to them as the Synoptic Gospels—meaning they present a “synchronised view.” If these Gospels were college papers submitted by students today, their professor might accuse them of plagiarism because of their similarities. The truth is, these three Gospels are indeed that similar, often referencing each other or common sources. So, if they are so similar, why do they differ at times? There are a few possible explanations.

The simplest explanation is that Jesus may have delivered the same or a similar sermon more than once. Perhaps He preached once on a mountain, as recorded in Matthew, and then again on a plain, as recorded in Luke. While the topic was the same, the details of each sermon could have varied. This happens to me as well. Being good Presbyterians, I am very sure you all remember the sermon I preached on Sunday, June 5th, 2022, my very first sermon here. I spoke about St. Thomas, who travelled to India and was martyred there, encouraging you to question and reason through what you hear—not just accepting anything a preacher says. I urged you to question the Bible as you read it, line by line. I remember this not because I have a photographic memory which is far from the truth, but because it is a sermon I have preached in various places, using the same Scriptures and topic, but the actual sermons are different each time, though similar. This could explain the differences between Jesus’ teachings in Matthew and Luke—two different sermons at two different places on two different days with same topic.

Another possibility is that Jesus preached only once, but Matthew and Luke recorded what they each found most important, perhaps paraphrasing certain points. This is plausible because Matthew and Luke had different audiences. Let us use a current example: the Olympic Games in Paris. While you may be watching them on NBC here in America, people in Korea are watching them on MBC. Both channels broadcast the same Olympic Games from Paris, but they focus on different events and angles. NBC, for example, might highlight swimming and gymnastics, while MBC emphasises archery, shooting, and Taekwondo. The difference in coverage is due to the distinct interests of their respective audiences. Similarly, Matthew’s audience was primarily Jewish, so his focus was on portraying Jesus as a figure like Moses, but even greater. Just as Moses received God’s word on Mount Sinai or in plain English, downloaded the Bible APP on his tablet/iPad, Matthew presents Jesus delivering God’s word on a mountain.

Luke, on the other hand, was writing to a gentile audience, particularly Greeks and Romans, and was concerned with both spiritual and physical aspects of life, being a physician himself. So, in Luke, Jesus preaches on a plain, a setting more relatable to Greeks and Romans who gathered in open, level spaces like the agora for discussions. Luke 6:20 says, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God,” whereas Matthew 5:3 says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Luke emphasises physical needs, while Matthew focuses on spiritual poverty. Similarly, Luke 6:21 says, “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled,” while Matthew 5:6 says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Again, Luke addresses physical hunger, while Matthew speaks to spiritual hunger.

After the Beatitudes, Luke continues with a series of woes: “Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.” But Matthew does not include these curses. Instead, he continues with another teaching about being the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Luke’s focus is more on physical hunger and poverty, while Matthew’s is on spiritual hunger and poverty.

So, who is right and who is wrong? I believe both Matthew and Luke are right. The spiritual and physical worlds are both important, and we should not neglect one in favour of the other. We must satisfy our bodily hunger, but we must also nourish our souls. For this reason, I encourage you to pick up a copy of These Days, the daily devotional by PCUSA, which is available at the back of the sanctuary.

These are the possibilities I can think of, but if you have another thought or idea, please feel free to share it with me.

God’s Feeding the Hungry in Old Testament

Whether in Matthew or Luke, Jesus proclaimed that God provides for the hungry. Psalm 107 echoes this truth: “Some of the redeemed wandered in the desert, in the wasteland, unable to find their way to a city or town. They were hungry and thirsty; their lives were slipping away. So they cried out to the Lord in their distress, and God delivered them from their desperate circumstances. God led them straight to a place of safety. Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love and His wondrous works for all people, because God satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things!”

Indeed, it is true that God cares for the poor and feeds the hungry. As Christians, made in the image of God, we are called to do the same. Today is LIFE Sunday, a day when we donate to support the women and children at the Women’s Shelter in our town. We care for them not only by providing food and clothings but also by helping them through Live for Life Indiana to gain the skills and resources they need to stand on their own in the future.

Consider the story of a poor, helpless woman and her child. She was not living in a Women’s Shelter because there was not one in her town. The economy was so dire—whether we call it the Great Depression or a famine in biblical terms—that no one was willing to help her. She was so desperate that she had resigned herself to die with her son. But then God intervened by sending the prophet Elijah to her. The jar of flour in her house never emptied, and the jug of oil never ran dry until the economy improved, and she was able to stand on her own feet. Later, when her son became ill, Elijah healed him as well. This story from 1 Kings 17 is just one of many examples showing how God cares for the poor and feeds the hungry, just as Jesus teaches us today.

No Complaining

There is another example we should approach with caution, found in Exodus 16. The Israelites were wandering in the desert for many years, yet they were never truly hungry because God provided them with Manna each day. As I have mentioned before, “Manna” in Hebrew means “What the heck!”—a fitting name since the Israelites had never seen or heard of anything like it. This bread from heaven was like honey-baked coriander seed, essentially a vegan diet. However, the Israelites, much like myself, were meat lovers. They dearly missed meat and eventually began to complain about their food, even going so far as to say they would rather be slaves in Egypt if it meant they could eat meat.

God was angry with their complaints, but He still provided them with quails for meat. The people ate their fill, and there was so much meat left over everywhere. The guys told their wives to put the leftover meat in the refrigerators but alas there was no refrigerators back then. The meat began to rot. The rotting meat led to a plague that killed many.

From this story, we can draw two important lessons. First, we need to learn to be content with what we have and to be thankful for it. Second, it is wise not to grumble about what we lack. Complaining often leads to consequences we may not foresee.

We’d Better Share

In today’s Old Testament lesson, we encounter an unusual situation. The Aramean army had come and besieged Jerusalem. Inside the city were the king, the prophet Elisha, and many others. Thanks to the Gihon Spring, they had water, but their food supplies had run out, leaving everyone in the city starving. The people inside were suffering greatly, but there were others who were even worse off—the lepers who had been driven out of the city earlier.

Miraculously, God drove out the Aramean army, causing them to abandon all their military provisions, including an abundance of food. But no one inside the city knew what had happened. Then, with a faith reminiscent of Esther, the lepers decided to approach the enemy camp, saying, “If I die, I die.” As you all know, what they found was an empty camp overflowing with food. At first, they plundered the provisions for themselves. They could have left the people inside the city to starve—after all, these were the very people who had bullied, despised, and ultimately cast them out of the community. But the lepers chose to share. Because of their decision, all the starving people within the city were fed.

The lepers were physically nourished first, but because they also hungered for righteousness and longed for the salvation of others, they were spiritually filled as well. The Bible tells us that many nations were blessed because of Abraham, and similarly, many hungry people were saved and filled with good things because of these lepers. God fed His hungry people through the generosity and compassion of those lepers. And I pray that because of us and through us, our family, friends, and neighbours will be blessed abundantly in many ways.

Conclusion

In Isaiah 55, God invites us, saying, “All of you who are thirsty, come to the water! Whoever has no money, come, buy food and eat! Without money, at no cost, buy wine and milk! Why spend money on what isn’t food, and your earnings on what doesn’t satisfy? Listen carefully to Me and eat what is good; enjoy the richest of feasts. Listen and come to Me.” Today, God still says, “Come to Me,” and Jesus echoes this call, saying, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

When a Samaritan woman came to Jesus at the well of Jacob, He declared Himself to be the living water. Jesus is that living water, the life-giving water that grants us eternal life. In John 6, Jesus also says, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty.” Jesus offers us Himself—His body and blood—so that we may have eternal life. All we need to do is to come to Him with hungry belly and hungry spirit. Friends, let us hunger and thirst for righteousness, and let us come to Jesus Christ our Saviour.

When we hunger for Jesus, when we thirst for righteousness, and when we long for the kingdom of God, we will surely be filled with the Bread of life from Heaven and the living water as well as the earthly things we may need, because Jesus preaches in Matthew 6, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Amen.