Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:1-10 ESV).
This is the time of the year when “talkin’ season” is almost over and college football season begins. It is also the time of the year when I really start drinking the “maroon Kool Ade.” In all seriousness, I really want A&M to have a GREAT year. In fact, my desire is for them to win a national championship! Now, will it happen? Well, I suppose they have a chance to win it all, though my desires may remain unfulfilled at the end of the year.
Desires are sometimes like that. They are what we want, even when we have little chance of gaining them short of a miracle. In the beatitude we will examine today, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (v. 5). He invites us to examine our desires and hold them up to his standard. The encouragement is to align our desires with hungering and thirsting for righteousness.
My views have always been a bit complex concerning the Second Coming of Christ. One the one hand, I want Him to come and restore peace and life to all of creation, but on the other hand, I want to see some things I haven’t yet seen. I want to see my children and grandchildren continue to grow in their families and careers. I want to see great grandchildren. I want to watch life unfold in our family.
All those things are good things. However, I must understand that these are things that God may also desire. The key is in the understanding that God can help us sort out our desires that might not fit with seeking righteousness, and he can give us a deep passion for the desires that align with his heart. His wisdom is always available to us (James 1:5), and he is always with us to guide us. Blessings come as I accept and follow that truth.