Back in 2012, there was a movie made about hunger in America narrated by Jeff Bridges. It was called “A Place at the Table”. My reflection this time is about a different kind of hunger and a different kind of table, but a dining table, nonetheless.
In His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) Jesus begins with what we call “the Beatitudes”. In one of these He says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Mt. 5:6).
Do you remember the last time you were physically hungry? Notice I didn’t say, “starving”. Most of us don’t know what it’s like to be truly starving, but we all have experienced pangs of hunger. When we do, we often focus on nothing else but satisfying that twinge of hunger. We just don’t do it to the extent of someone who is really starving. But my point is this – Jesus is saying that we need to desire (seek after) righteousness just like we seek after food when we are physically hungry. The beauty of His beatitude is the promise that when we do truly desire to be righteous, we “will be filled” (or satisfied).
In his book, Grace: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine Max Lucado says it this way:
To live as God’s child is to know, at this very instant, that you are loved by
your Maker not because you try to please Him and succeed, or fail to
please Him and apologize, but because He wants to be your Father. Nothing
more. All your efforts to win His affection are unnecessary. All your fears
of losing His affection are needless. You can no more make Him want you
than you can convince Him to abandon you. The adoption is irreversible.
You have a place at His table.