Christ is full of contraries that surpass all understanding. Contradicting statements tend to confuse the human intellect simply because of the law of non-contradiction. Two opposite realities cannot exist at the same time. This idea is merely a bylaw of human reasoning that demands that certain things should follow patterns we can logically deduce. An immortal and immeasurably incomprehensible Deity would only be expected to surpass this, which is perfectly manifested in the great contrary realities of Jesus Christ. Among them, Christ is both Lion of the Tribe of Judah and Lamb of God, He is both Servant and King, He is both Almighty Sovereign and Humble Savior. Matthew 5:6 highlights yet another great contrary reality of Christ.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”
Matthew 5:6
Skimming this passage may not immediately confuse one about the nature of Christ, but we have to look at the grander revelation of what the Holy Spirit is saying about who He is and how He works in our lives as revealed in Scripture.
First, the Holy Spirit has been sent to convict us of sin.
“And when He (The Holy Spirit) has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement.”
John 16:8
This conviction is the working of the Holy Spirit to starve us of all our worldly loves that stand in opposition to Himself. This working of the Holy Spirit is often painful, wounding, and humbling. Conviction is a heavy weight of condemnation brought about by a revelation of sin in our lives. Christ reveals Himself to our heart in a manner that creates a longing for the Perfect Righteousness we see in Christ. Hunger is the response of conviction. Thirsting is the response of conviction. We hunger and thirst to become Christ-like, to be free from the law of sin and death and live in perfected holy love. With this, Christ is the origin of our hunger, He is the Great Starver of our soul.
Second, the Holy Spirit has been sent to satisfy the ultimate desire of the human soul.
“For He satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with goodness.”
Psalms 107:9
The human soul is not just hungering for natural food. Our soul is hardwired to desire things beyond our physical reality. Even with all our bodily needs met, there is still a part of us that cries out “I need more!” This longing is stirred most by conviction because we realize that we are spiritually malnourished. This cry from the depths of our soul is, as the Psalms say, is for infinite goodness. Only Christ can satisfy this desire. He invites all to draw from the well of Living Water and to partake of the Living Bread that does not perish nor leaves one unsatisfied. There is no hunger that He gives us that He Himself will not fill. He does not display the wonder of His righteousness without giving it to His servants through His Cross.
He is both the Starver and Provider of our souls. A mystery that manifests in pain and comfort alike. Christ invites the believer who hungers after righteousness to be joyful. This experience of conviction and fulfillment will result in the joy of the Lord. He will not leave us more destitute than when we came to Him but will share abundantly His grace with those who love the Lord.
*This blog post was written by Tucker McDonald, the teaching assistant at the South Wesley Foundation
