Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness. By The Rev. Kenneth J. Alden

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1 Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness By The Rev. Kenneth J. Alden 1. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. (Matthew 5:6) 2. If you want to succeed in business--if you want to succeed in life, discover your passion and follow it. A. This kind of advice is common from successful people and those who study them. B. Discover what motivates you--discover what you hunger for and pursue that. C. That is where you will succeed. 1 You will be filled. 3. When people give this kind of advice, they are expressing what they believe to be a natural law--something that applies to most or all people because most or all people have the capacity for passion and so for success. A. When the Lord said in the so-called sermon on the plain as recorded in Luke, Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled, (Luke 6:21) He was expressing a spiritual law in natural form. 1 When He gave this law in the so-called sermon on the mount, as read in our text from Matthew He was giving direction to our road to success and happiness by saying that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are filled and blessed. 2 Likewise, He also promised blessing in this way: Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:33) a. Not just any passion meets with spiritual success, but a hunger for righteousness will. 4. What, then, is a hunger and thirst for righteousness? A. The Greek words of the New Testament and the Hebrew words of the Old which are translated righteousness can also be translated justice. 1 Even in English, words like just, right, upright, righteous, and justice are defined in terms of each other. 2 We will be using justice and righteousness interchangably.

2 Blessed Are Those Who Hunger For Righteousness 2 5. When we think of people having a passion for justice, two images may come to mind. A. One is the classic picture of a sheriff relentlessly pursuing outlaws until they are caught, tried, and punished. B. The other is that of a vigilante vowing justice and pursuing vengeance until he is satisfied that the score has been made even. C. Indeed, the Old Testament law that crimes were to be punished by giving life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and so forth (see Exodus 21:23-25) gives many people the idea that the central feature of justice is to even the score. 1 The law that says, The avenger of blood himself shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death, (Numbers 35:19) seems to say that it is the next-of-kin s duty to make sure that the score has been settled. 2 But is a burning desire to even the score the hunger and thirst for justice that the Lord says will be filled? a. Is this passion what makes us blessed? D. As a spiritual law, the law of retaliation is the law that operates in hell. 1 In heaven, all do to others as they wish it to be done to them, but in hell this law is perverted such that those who do ill to others are quickly punished in like measure by others. (See Arcana Coelestia 8223) 2 The justice of retribution, then, cannot be the kind of justice the Lord was speaking of when He said to Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. 6. When the Heavenly Doctrine speaks of justice, it usually refers to justice on the moral and civil plane. (See Apocalypse Revealed 815) A. When righteousness or justice is mentioned in the Word, however, the spiritual entity to which moral and civil justice corresponds is usually celestial or heavenly good.. (See Apocalypse Revealed 815) B. Above even this is the justice or righteousness that belongs to the Lord alone. C. The Heavenly Doctrine also shows that what is judged as just on one plane of life may not be judged as just on another plane because judgments in civil affairs must be based on actions viewed in relation to civil law, in moral affairs on apparent motives in relation to moral law, and in spiritual affairs on actual

3 Blessed Are Those Who Hunger For Righteousness 3 spiritual motives and spiritual state in relation to Divine law. (See Conjugial Love 485; Apocalypse Revealed 815) D. Let us look first at justice on the moral and civil level. 7. On a basic level, the commandments against murder, adultery, theft, false witness and coveting are described as principles of civic justice in all countries on earth. A. Psalm 37 expands the idea of natural justice to the moral plane where it says, The righteous shows mercy and lends...the mouth of the righteous meditates wisdom. (Psalm 37:21, 30. See Arcana Coelestia 9263:6; Apocalypse Revealed 815) B. The prophet Ezekiel quotes Jehovah s description of a just man doing what is lawful and right. 1 In addition to several of the Ten Commandments, giving bread to the hungry, covering the naked with clothing, and not exacting usury are also mentioned. (See Ezekiel 18:5-9; Arcana Coelestia 9263:4,6) C. Jeremiah quotes Jehovah saying: Execute judgment and righteousness, and deliver the plundered out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong and do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, or the widow... (Jeremiah 22:3. See Arcana Coelestia 2235) D. From these examples we see something of the range of natural justice, pertaining to both civic and moral law. 1 Such things are said to be the basis of a person s external conscience of what is just and fair. (See Arcana Coelestia 4167:2, 5145:4, 6207, 9119) E. Not all act from conscience when they act according to civic and moral law. 1 The Heavenly Doctrine makes plain that many people behave in ways that are equally righteous, but from a wide variety of motives. 2 We read in Heaven and Hell: When one acts honestly and justly with a companion, one person may do it for the purpose of appearing to be honest and just out of regard to himself and his own honor; another out of regard to the world and gain; a third out of regard to reward and merit...and others from other motives. In all these instances although the deeds are good in appearance, since it is a good thing to act honestly and justly with a companion, they are nevertheless evil, because they are done, not out of regard to honesty and justice and for the love of these, but out of regard to love of self and the world which are loved... (Heaven and Hell 472. See also Arcana Coelestia 4167:2-3, 6207; Heaven and Hell 530:2, Apocalypse Revealed 815)

4 Blessed Are Those Who Hunger For Righteousness 4 3 People such as these clearly do not have a hunger for justice. a. Their passion is for their own honor, gain, merit, and other things that serve their loves of self and the world. b. These are the people of whom the Lord spoke when He said, Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger. (Luke 6:25) 1) They are said to be full in this world because they have the Word which has an abundance of knowledge about justice on the natural plane and about good and truth on the spiritual plane, but they have no more appetite for true justice than someone who is satiated. (See Apocalypse Explained 386:16; Apocalypse Revealed 206) 2) They are said to hunger later because, after death, their lack of interior affection for the truths and goods of the Word releases what knowledge of it they had in the world. (See Arcana Coelestia 1666:3, 7474:4) A) Where they feel hunger is for the things like power and wealth, in that they imagine themselves more deserving than others, and are never satisfied with how much they have. B) They may believe themselves more righteous than others for the good they did in the world, and free of evil on account of their merit or faith, but lacking humility and making goodness meritorious, they are actually among the unrighteous, we are told. (See Arcana Coelestia 5069) F. The case is very different with people who really do hunger for justice. (See Arcana Coelestia 5145:4-6) 1 They strive to keep the commandments because it is the right thing to do. (See Heaven and Hell 472) 2 They stand up for the laws of the land and for moral law, not for the sake of their reputation or gain, but because it is good for society and in keeping with the Lord s commandments.(see Heaven and Hell 472, 530) a. In this, their hunger for justice makes their righteousness exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees--those whose end is only for themselves and the world. (See Matthew 5:20, Doctrine of Life 84) 3 They have a hunger and thirst for the truths of the Word, because their desire is to do the Lord s will. (See Apocalypse Revealed 323:3, 815,

5 Blessed Are Those Who Hunger For Righteousness 5 956:2; Apocalypse Explained 118:3, 386:17) 4 To the extent that their hunger for justice is simply justice on the civic and moral plane, the Lord governs them as people who are capable of being regenerated. (See Arcana Coelestia 4167:2) a. He nurtures their hunger and thirst for spiritual truths so that they can be regenerated in the next life, if not in this, and there they will continue to learn truths from the Word and be filled again and again. (See Arcana Coelestia 4167:2) b. Although their attention has been on doing justice to the least of the Lord s brethren, they are filled with a more spiritual justice, for in so doing they have done it to the Lord. (See Arcana Coelestia 9263:3-4) 8. So far we have spoken mostly of civic and moral justice practiced either from a selfish and worldly love or a love of obeying the Lord and doing what is right. A. Before we touch on the love of heavenly good and truth that is meant in the internal sense by hungering and thirsting for righteousness--a love that is said to exist with few at this day (see Arcana Coelestia 6207)--let us turn briefly to the hunger for righteousness that the Lord Himself had when He was in the world. B. The Lord s purpose in taking on Humanity, undergoing temptations, defeating the hells and setting them and the heavens in order was so that there would be a balance in the spiritual world that was truly just. 1 Without this order those who loved what is good and true for its own sake could not have been saved, while those who had no hunger and thirst for genuine righteousness were using their hypocrisy to gain power over those who did and destroy heaven. 2 So the Heavenly Doctrine says, The work of righteousness consists in keeping the hells in check as they try to destroy the human race, and in protecting and saving those who are good and are true believers. (Arcana Coelestia 9715:7) 3 Only the Lord could provide this order which is justice itself, and He could only do it by means of His Divine Human. (See Arcana Coelestia 9715:1-2) 4 In subduing the hells, bringing order to hell and heaven, and making His Human Divine, the Lord alone is Righteousness, we are told. (See Arcana Coelestia 9263:2, 10239:4; True Christian Religion 95, 96) 9. Seeing that the Lord is righteousness itself, and seeing that it has to do with the

6 Blessed Are Those Who Hunger For Righteousness 6 Divine good and truth of His Divine Human bringing the order to the spiritual world without which no one could be saved is important to understanding what is meant in the spiritual sense by hungering and thirsting for righteousness. A. In revealing Himself and His righteousness, the Lord is inviting us to hunger and thirst for righteousness in a deeper way. B. Beyond and within civic and moral justice is the justice of Divine good and truth which provides, not merely for fairness in this world, but for the eternal justice that makes salvation possible. (See Conjugial Love 485) C. The Lord invites us to have a hunger and conscience for spiritual goodness and truth for its own sake. (See Arcana Coelestia (AC 4167:1-2, 5145:4-5, 6207, 9119) 1 It is not a hunger to be righteous ourselves, and yet it receives the Lord s justice in heart and life because we love the fact that all righteousness belongs to the Lord alone. (See Arcana Coelestia AC 5069, 9263:2-3; Heaven and Hell 214, 472:3) 2 This hunger comes from deep within, for it is to love the Lord with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind. (See Matthew 22:37) a. With it comes a thirst for the spiritual truth contained within the Word, and a hunger to subordinate ourselves to the Divine law and be perfected by it. (See Apocalypse Explained 118:3, 386:17) 10. The hunger and thirst the Lord says is blessed and will be filled is far more than the success we may find by following a worldly passion. A. In fact, a love of justice can be filled full no matter whether our life-long day job has been our passion or not. 1 If we are passionate about justice, we can practice true, spiritual charity by doing our job justly, faithfully and sincerely, no matter what it is, and by acting in this spirit in all our interactions outside of our job as well. (See True Christian Religion 422) 2 Truly, the Lord is inviting us to a passion, a yearning, a hunger, a love that will flow in from the Lord s own dwelling place in our soul when we set our hearts on Him and His righteousness. 3 This hunger will be satisfied richly and deeply, according to His promise: a. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. b. Amen.

7 Blessed Are Those Who Hunger For Righteousness 7 Readings Psalm 37:18-40; Luke 18:9-17; AC 9263:1-4, parts. Arcana Coelestia Leaders of the Church suppose that the righteous and the justified are those who have learned the truths of faith from the teachings of the Church and from the Word, and from this knowledge are given the trust or assurance that they are saved through the Lord's righteousness, and that the Lord acquired righteousness by fulfilling all things of the Law, also merit because He endured the Cross, thereby making atonement for and redeeming mankind. By this faith alone, they suppose, is a person justified; and they also suppose that people such as this are the ones whom the Word calls 'the righteous'. [2] These however are not the ones whom the Word calls 'the righteous' but those who are governed by the good of charity towards the neighbour, received from the Lord. For the Lord alone is righteous, since He alone is Righteousness; and therefore in the measure that a person receives good from the Lord, that is, in the measure that what composes the Lord's essential nature resides with him, he is righteous and has been justified. The Lord became Righteousness through making His Human, by His own power, Divine. This Divine virtue residing with a person who receives it is the Lord's Righteousness with him. And it is the true good of charity towards the neighbour; for the Lord is within the good of love and through this within the truth of faith, the Lord being Divine Love itself. [3] The good of charity towards the neighbour is exterior good, which is meant by 'the righteous', whereas the good of love to the Lord is interior good, which is meant by 'the innocent', dealt with immediately above in The fact that the good of love towards the neighbour, received from the Lord, is meant by 'righteous' in the proper sense may be recognized from places in the Word in which the expressions 'the righteous', 'righteousness', and 'being justified' occur, such as in Matthew, Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, When did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You? But the King answering will say to them, Truly I say to you, Insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me. And the righteous will go into eternal life. Matt. 25:37-40, 46. [4] Here those people are called 'the righteous' who have performed the good deeds of charity towards the neighbour that are recounted in this passage. The fact that those good deeds of charity constitute the Lord's presence with them is explicitly stated in the words, 'Insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me'... Through The Week Recall the Readings In Psalm 37, meekness and righteousness are closely intertwined as well as inheriting the earth and being filled. The wicked do not succeed for long. The upright are saved and given peace. The Pharisee was not as righteous as the humble tax collector. Reflect on the Message The Lord does not bless love for the justice of retribution.

8 Blessed Are Those Who Hunger For Righteousness 8 Some may act justly for selfish and worldly reasons. Heavenly blessing comes with a love of justice because it is just. When defeating the hells, the Lord made His humanity justice itself. Take Action Shun self-serving motives when doing what is just. Make the Lord s justice your passion in work and play. In decisions, ask: What is just in the long run--to eternity? Pray for thirst to learn daily of the Lord s righteousness.