Reflections from early Christian writers
“Hunger and thirst for righteousness”
(4th-5th century)
To hunger and thirst for righteousness is to desire God’s own righteousness. People should hear and do God’s righteousness, not as though they hear or do it unwillingly but from their heart’s desire. Every good that is not done out of this sort of love for righteousness is not pleasing to God. Hence the Lord, through John, does not simply call everyone to drink, but only those who are thirsty, saying,
“If anyone thirst, let that one come to me and drink.”
John 7:37
Similarly, it was not for nothing that he spoke of those who “hunger and thirst for righteousness.” Whoever hungers for righteousness wants to live actively according to God’s righteousness; this is proper for the person with a good heart. One who thirsts for righteousness wants to acquire the knowledge of God that one can gain only by studying the Scriptures. This is fitting for the person with an attentive heart. “For they shall be satisfied.” They are filled with the abundance of God’s reward. Greater are the rewards of God than even the most avid desires of the saints.
[author unknown, 4th-5th century, from an incomplete commentary text on the Gospel of Matthew, HOMILY PG 56:682]
The Promise of Fulfillment
by Chromatius (400 AD)
Rightly then the One who is the heavenly bread and the fountain of living waters promises in return to those who thus hunger and thirst the fullness of perpetual refreshment: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” This indeed is that righteousness of faith that comes from God and Christ, of which the apostle says,
“The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ in all and upon all who believe in him.”
Romans 3:22
(Tractate on Matthew 17.5.2.) [CCL 9a:273]
Transferring Desire to a New Object
by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD)
Note how drastically he expresses it. For Jesus does not say, “Blessed are those who cling to righteousness,” but “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness” – not in a superficial way but pursuing it with their entire desire. By contrast, the most characteristic feature of covetousness is a strong desire with which we are not so hungry for food and drink as for more and more things. Jesus urged us to transfer this desire to a new object, freedom from covetousness.
(The Gospel of Matthew, Homily 15.4.) [PG 57:227; NPNF 1 10:94]
Then he designates the prize, again by analogy with things sensible, saying, “for they shall be filled.” Thus, because it is commonly thought that the rich are made wealthy through their own greed, Jesus says in effect: “No, it is just the opposite. For it is righteousness that produces true wealth. Thus so long as you act righteously, you do not fear poverty or tremble at hunger. Rather those who extort are those who lose all, while one who is in love with righteousness possesses all other goods in safety.” If those who do not covet enjoy such great abundance, how much more will they be ready to offer to others what they have.
(The Gospel of Matthew, Homily 15.4.) [source: PG 57:227; NPNF 1 10:94]
Hunger for Righteousness
by Gregory of Nyssa (330-394 AD)
Many say that righteousness consists in always giving to each what is right, what each deserves. I believe, however, taking account of the depth of the divine dispensation, that the word “righteousness” ought to include something more.
“Blessed are they that hunger…after righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
Matthew 5:6
When certain things are offered us as food, all of different sorts and very desirable, we need a great deal of patience to discover what is good nourishment and what is harmful. There is a danger that we will want to eat something that may lead to illness or death. Well then, only the person who is hungry for God’s righteousness finds what everyone ought to be looking for.
In this passage, the Word says that righteousness is offered to all those who are hungry for it. It is clear that the word “righteousness” means the total sum of the virtues. It means that the person is blessed who possesses prudence, courage, moderation, temperance, self-control, who is hungry, in short, for all included in the definition of virtue.
I insist on “all.” It is not possible for one particular virtue to be isolated from the others and to remain a perfect virtue. For this reason, people in whom we do not find what we reckon as good, undoubtedly have in them the opposite of good. So it is absurd to speak of righteousness as applied to a person who is unwise, foolhardy, uncontrolled or dissolute in some way. Righteousness includes all the virtues and none is left out.
(On the Beatitudes, 54) [PG44, 1232ff.]
God Is the True Virtue
by Origen of Alexandria (185-253 AD)
But if I must utilize a bold explanation indeed, I think that perhaps it was through the word that is measured by virtue and justice that the Lord presents himself to the desire of the hearers. He was born as wisdom from God for us, and as justice and sanctification and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30). He is “the bread that comes down from heaven” (John 6:50) and “living water,” (John 4:10–11) for which the great David himself thirsted. He said in one of his psalms, “My soul has thirsted for you, even for the living God; when shall I come and appear before the face of God?” (Psalm 42:2/41:2 lxx) … “I shall behold your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied in beholding your glory.” (Psalm 17:15/16:15 lxx). This then, in my estimation, is the true virtue, the good unmingled with any lesser good, that is, God, the virtue that covers the heavens, as Habakkuk relates.
(Habakkuk 3:3) [source: Fragment 83. GCS 41.1:49]
Top image credit: Photo of man kneeling and reading God’s Word in the Holy Bible, © by Ben White at Uplash.com. Free to use under the Unsplash License.
Don Schwager is the editor of Living Bulwark and author of the Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation website. He is a lay religious brother and life-time member of the Servants of the Word.