Rev. Nick Cheek
Amos 5:14-24 and Matthew 5: 1-12
As a student at Queens, I had the opportunity to travel abroad the summer of my Junior year. I chose the Alpine Europe trip, and one of our stops was a little Austrian town nestled in a beautiful valley – reminiscent of the Shire from Lord of the Rings. On our free day, a friend and I rented bikes to explore. We had an Austrian map and directions from a guide, so we felt ready to venture out. Eager to see the town from above, we took a hilly route. We only brought one water bottle each, thinking we’d return by lunch. After an hour, we reached a beautiful outlook and decided to continue on a marked trail that we thought would lead to another view. That turned out to be a mistake. After a few twists and turns, we found ourselves hopelessly lost. We ended up biking all over God’s country for 20 miles or so. Needless to say, we didn’t make it back in time for lunch. We didn’t even make it back for dinner. When we finally found civilization again, our legs felt like jelly and the sun was just barely hanging on the edge of the horizon. We were starving, so our first stop was a neighborhood store. With only a little bit of money between the two of us, we had to be selective. So naturally, we convinced ourselves to buy the Austrian beer over water because it was cheaper. With the remaining money, we bought bread and Nutella. Remember… We were college students. Once outside, we devoured the break and Nutella like it was nothing. However, when it came to the beer… we quickly realized it wasn’t a twist-off. We looked at each other in disbelief, shook our heads, and in unison said, “We should have gotten the water.”[Pause]
In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, satisfying hunger and thirst are among the most basic and foundational. We hunger… we thirst… as so we long for something that will fill our stomachs and sustain us. But in this final beatitude of our series, Jesus is not speaking about a hunger for steak and potatoes or chicken pot pie, Jesus turns our attention to righteousness.
Blessed are those who hunger and Thirst for Righteousness… for they will be filled.
The Gospel of Matthew, righteousness is emphasized as a hallmark of discipleship. Righteousness, throughout the bible, carries with it a spectrum of meanings. For one, the Greek can be translated as “right living” or “Holy Living.” – a life lived in faithfulness to God and God’s will… To do one’s best to live in obedience to the right way. To practice a faith rooted in spiritual practice – prayer – the reading of scripture, worship… honorable conduct. At the same time, righteousness also moves us from a personal obedience or relationship with God to right relationships with our neighbors. The Hebrew word used for righteousness in the bible takes on a more communal… and corporate definition. It refers to righteousness as restorative justice. In other words… righteousness is viewed as God’s continued redemptive restoration of the world and our relationships with each other. We encounter this theme regularly within the Old Testament. Our first reading this morning turns our attention to the prophet Amos. Amos prophesied in the 8th century BCE, during a time of relative peace and prosperity in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Though the nation benefited from economic growth and security, those benefits also came with negative effects – economic exploitation, corrupt courts, and the oppression of certain cultures and colors. In addition, the people’s faith had become superficial, focused primarily on ritual, worship, and going through the religious motions. Amos, a reluctant prophet who lived among shepherds in a small town, boldly speaks into this moment… “I despise your festivals”, he said, “I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But…” he says…”let justice roll down like water, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” In this discourse from Amos to God’s people… we don’t hear Amos rejecting ardent worship, for worship is a key aspect of our faith. Instead, he is reminding us… quite strongly… that we cannot rightly enjoy worship without justice, we cannot rightly practice personal piety, or celebrate the sacraments … or sing our songs…without also sharing in a common solidarity with our neighbors… Amos envisions a faithful people, a worshiping people, … who hunger deeply for a day when all of God’s children are cared for, welcomed, loved, fed, housed, and safe.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness… for they will be filled.
The prophet Isaiah echoes this truth as well. No matter which moment of Israel’s history Isaiah is speaking into, he keeps returning to this overarching idea that God’s active movement of righteousness is what mends, restores, and sets things right.
“Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed” (Isa. 1:17).
“In righteousness you shall be established” (Isa. 54:14).
“The fruit of righteousness will be peace” (Isa. 32:17).
Within the Scriptures of Old and New, we encounter this theme: that Righteousness is not only a moral idea… it is not only about our right relationship with God…it is also about our right relationship with neighbor… and perhaps nowhere else in the bible do we see this two-pronged approach to righteousness more clearly than when Jesus is asked by a teacher of the law which commandment is the greatest. What does he say?… Do you remember church? He said the greatest commandment is this… to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind… and the second is equal to it… to love your neighbor as yourself.
Peruvian philosopher, theologian, and Dominican priest, Gustavo Gutiérrez argues that righteousness is inseparable from the care of the oppressed. He writes: “To know God is to do justice. There is no authentic worship of God without concrete acts on behalf of those in need.”
Righteousness, then, is also an active resistance to the systems that deny the human dignity of God’s people.
Friends, this past week put us face-to-face with those systems… Immigrant communities in Charlotte have faced deep fear and uncertainty. Many, including U.S. citizens, are avoiding work, church, medical appointments, and even running everyday errands. Families are staying indoors, worried that stepping outside could lead to separation or detention. Latino-owned businesses have experienced a sharp decline in foot traffic, with some stores temporarily closing. Schools have also experienced alarming spikes in absences, with over 30,000 students on one day. And underlying all of this are effects we often don’t recognize at first… Like long-term emotional consequences: children living in anxiety, educational setbacks from missed days, and growing distrust between immigrant communities and law enforcement.
Trinity sent out communications about what is happening at Nations Ford Elementary, one of our closest mission partners. Nearly their entire student body is Latino, and out of 602 children, more than 400 have been absent due to fear among families. Teachers, administrators, and staff are carrying an enormous emotional burden right now as they try to comfort students, reassure parents, and maintain learning amid uncertainty. Yet, in the midst of all this, members of Trinity have stepped up. You have volunteered your time, checked in on families, provided resources, and offered encouragement. You have stood on streets in the community in solidarity… as a comforting presence… and even this morning you have been making pies for Nations Ford Families to enjoy this coming week. Friends, Trinity, you have listened to your hunger for righteousness. And I am deeply, deeply proud of your response. I need to take a moment to thank you. Rebecca, Jane, Janet, and their team worked extremely hard to keep us informed and involved. Their leadership has allowed many of us to actively participate in the righteousness of Amos this beatitude speaks of. As you have heard, there is still work to be done. Thank you… thank you church.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness… for they will be filled.
Friends, as we do our best to walk with one another and work towards God’s righteousness, it is normal and human to feel the weight of it all. Some days the work is exhausting and some days the world feels unchanged. Some days, we wonder if our small acts of goodness matter at all. I think Jesus felt the same weight through his ministry. And do you want to hear the good news, church? I said… Do you want to hear the Good news, church? Jesus didn’t say, Blessed are those who fix it all… or Blessed are those who make everything right and just. He said Blessed are those who HUNGER and THIRST. Jesus blesses our desire… not the outcome. He blesses our hunger pains… He saying… Blessed are you who stay awake to that holy ache within you… And you know the ache church… It’s the same ache we all share when we see the world’s brokenness… when we long for a better way… when we feel deep down in our gut that the world God desires has not yet arrived. God blesses our LONGING… because our longing is confirmation that we haven’t slipped down into the depths of numbness yet… it is confirmation that the spirit is still stirring within us… a restless hope that one day our collective hunger for righteousness will finally be filled.
Esau Macaulay writes about this beatitude:
“God blesses the longing for a justice we do not yet see, because longing keeps us turned toward the world God has promised.”
Friends… It’s a daily struggle to keep our hearts towards righteousness. It can be a struggle to keep hopeful. And I think that’s exactly why Jesus ends our beatitude with a promise. “They… will…. be…. Filled.” They… will… be… filled. It is eschatological foretelling …. a glimpse of God’s future that is continually breaking into our present. Jesus is letting us know that there will come a day, church when God finally sets things right. There will come a day when Justice will flow freely. There will come a day when Righteousness will flourish and the world will be healed… There will come a day. And until that day comes, our calling is clear… we… God’s people are to remain hungry to see it so.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the holy spirit. Amen.