John and his friend George went golfing together one Sunday morning, as they had for many years, while their family was at church. This particular Sunday was Palm Sunday, the Sunday that celebrates the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. This led to a very empty golf course with only John and George playing. They were fanatics about their golf game. Later that day, John returned home completely exhausted and plopped down in his easy chair. His wife was quite concerned since he was more exhausted than usual after his Sunday golf game.
She asked him if something went wrong with the game. He replied, "No, hon, I had the best game in years!
As a matter of fact, I started out the first three holes at 4 under par, including a hole-in-one on the 3rd."
"So why are you so worn out?" she asked.
"Well, George had a heart attack and died on the 4th hole."
"What!? Are you so exhausted from trying to save him?"
He said, "No, honey, it was quick and there was nothing anyone could’ve done. But after that, it was just hit the ball, and drag George, hit the ball, and drag George.”
Today is Palm Sunday. Today marks the day that Jesus rode on a donkey into Jerusalem with people praising his name and laying palm branches before him as a sign of honor. Palm Sunday, as we refer to it, will be the best day He has that week. By Friday He will have been beaten, tortured, and crucified. However, also within this week He will be resurrected from the dead.
Two really great things come from his resurrection. First, the guarantee of eternal life. And secondly the indwelling Holy Spirit. Indwelling meaning He lives within us. He comes as a teacher, a helper, and a guide. But even more so He comes to give us power.
Right now perhaps you have caught a whiff of some chili cooking for our chili cook-off. It can be distracting. Perhaps you are trying to come up with a plan to sneak out and get some. That’s why it is sitting in here under everyone watchful eye. But also it’s here to make you hungry.
Hunger can be a good thing or a bad thing. Hunger is motivated by a need to survive. When you body’s cells begin to be depleted of energy, your brain begins to send messages to activate signals of a need to be fed, like a growling stomach for example. How you react to that need can be acceptable or devastating. Let’s look at Bad hunger
Genesis 25:29-34 “One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry. Esau said to Jacob, ‘I’m starved! Give me some of that red stew!’ (This is how Esau got his other name, Edom, which means ‘red.’)
‘All right,’ Jacob replied, ‘but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.’
‘Look, I’m dying of starvation!’ said Esau. ‘What good is my birthright to me now?’
But Jacob said, ‘First you must swear that your birthright is mine.’ So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob.
Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal then got up and left. He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn.”
Hunger got the best of Esau that day. He was tired and starving. In fact he was starving to death. Nothing he possessed was worth having over his hunger. That included giving away the rights to 1/3 of his father’s possessions and his father’s blessings.
Hunger from oppression would get the best of the nation of Israel this week over 2000 years ago. They were tired and starving to death for freedom. They expected Jesus to become their king ad overthrow their Roman oppressors. But instead they saw a man helpless and weak. Jesus could do nothing for them. So they were willing to give away the Father’s possessions and blessings to appease those who oppressed them.
Then there is the good hunger.
Matthew 5:6 “God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.”
Let’s analyze this verse. First let’s talk about justice. Often this word evokes a sense of people getting what they deserve as determined by law or our opinion. Mostly it’s used in a negative sense. The “they had it coming” kind of justice.
But this justice is more about us than them. This justice is the act of doing what is in agreement with God’s standards and actions. I am not responsible for this type of justice to be meted out on you. This justice is between God and me. This justice is a state of me being in a proper relationship with God. In order for me to achieve this justice God sent the Holy Spirit to teach, help, and guide me to discover justice. And then He empowers me to live this justice out in my life. Now my actions can be in agreement with God’s standards and his actions.
Now let’s talk about hunger. Hunger means hungry. Right now the smell of that delicious chili is driving my hunger. My brain is telling me that I desire energy for my body. Therefore I need to eat before my stomach starts growling.
God says we should be hungry for justice. We should have a spiritual need to do what is in agreement with God’s standards. There should be a gnawing within me that only a proper relationship with God can ease.
Too often people will try to ease that emptiness with what the world offers. They sell their right to be a child of God and seek temporary satisfaction. But God has a promise for us.
He blesses. If we hunger for, if we desire to live in agreement to God’s standards, He will give us his favor. This is not a bargaining chip. God is not saying that this is the only way you can receive his favor. Jesus said “For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.” (Matthew 5:45) Instead He promises to give us a spiritual happiness that the world does not offer. He gives us a peace that the world cannot give.
And this will lead to our last word in this scripture, Satisfied.
This word means to be so satisfied that we are overflowing with satisfaction. In 1965 a British group named the Rolling Stones had a hit with a song titled “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction.” I would wager that the majority of you know at least the opening tune to this song. And many of you will have it locked in your brain for the rest of the day.
The song dealt with advertisement on the radio and television selling satisfaction points. If you do not look a certain way or use a certain product, you would not find satisfaction. It also emphasized the lack of assurance that relationships can have. Not much has changed in 50 years. We still hear these selling points.
This type of satisfaction comes from knowing you are in a proper relationship with God so that no matter what comes, things will be alright. In my crisis management class we use the term “new norm.” This is when a tragedy hits that changes your normal life forever. You develop a new normal life. But even in a “new norm” we can know God is there.
Recapping Matthew 5:6. “We receive God’s favor when we develop a desire for doing what is in agreement with God’s standard and actions, thus leading to us being completely satisfied with our lives.”
Look at those pots of chili. One of those will walk away with the grand prize. But in order to do so they must share their chili. If you are not willing to give it all away, then you will not win. We must be willing to give away the empowering of the Holy Spirit. Remember justice means to do what is in agreement with God. And that can become rather mind boggling when you see the results.
Let me tell you about of my favorite Old Testament heroes. His name was Elijah. He was a prophet that had a showdown with wicked King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel. First he commands it not to rain until he says it can. Then he raises a widow’s son from the dead. After 3 years he goes back to have a face off with 450 prophets of Baal where he calls fire from heaven to prove who the true God is. He calls for rain, it comes, and he outraces horse drawn chariots down the mountain. Pretty amazing stuff. But this is even more amazing. James 5:17 “Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years!”
He was like us. However, he was willing to do what was in agreement with God’s standards and actions. He had a desire to be obedient and was satisfied to see God glorified through him. But he was a man just like us.
There is another scripture that fascinates me. Jesus had been teaching to 5000 men plus women and children. His disciples came to him and reminded him of how remote the area was He was in. They suggested that He send them into the nearby villages and farms to find food and perhaps spend the night. Matthew 14:16 “But Jesus said, ‘That isn’t necessary—you feed them.’”
Their reaction range from “we don’t have enough food” to “if we borrow this much food we will have to work for months to pay it back.” So Jesus said give me the basket. He feeds all 5000 plus with 12 baskets left over. Why didn’t the disciples do it?
Unlike Elijah they had not reached that point of willingness to be in agreement with God’s standards and actions. In all fairness, I think their doubts were greater than their desire to be obedient. It would be certain that they would be amazed at this kind of supernatural power. But Jesus gave them a promise.
John 14:12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father”
How did this promise play out? In the Book of Acts we discover Peter healing a lame man by helping him up. We discover sick people being brought outside on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall upon them. He healed a man who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years. He raised a lady from the dead.
Philip cast out evil spirits
Ananias healed Saul of his blindness.
Paul struck a sorcerer blind. Paul yelled at a lame man and he was healed. He drove a demon from a young girl. His handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched him had the power to heal. A young man who fell from a window and died because Paul preached to long was raised from the dead.
Powerful testimonies about godly men. We read these stories with awe and a sense of reverence for who they were. But if Paul was here he would say to us as he did to them in Acts 14:15. “Friends, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings—just like you!
Like Elijah there was nothing super-spiritual about these guys. They were merely human beings, just like us. And like Elijah they were in agreement with God’s standards and actions. They had a desire to be obedient and see God glorified through them.
Now I have never raised the dead or healed the lame. Perhaps you have. My son was an instrument of healing when he was around 7 years old. We were leaving on a camping trip when his mother’s allergies flared up. She was stuffed up, in pain, eyes red, coughing, sneezing, and very sick. Shane went to her as she lay on the couch, opened the Bible, and placed it on her face. Someone had taught him in Sunday school that we need to “apply” the Word of God to our lives. The healing began immediately and was gone by the next morning.
Some may have said it was the innocent faith of a child. Perhaps, but I do know this. He was in agreement with God’s standards and acted upon it. And he got results.
I have decided today to be bolder in my prayer life when it comes to those who are sick. I will lay my hands on them with more determination to see them healed so God can be glorified. I will develop a greater desire for a solid relationship with God. And I will expect God’s favor in return.
So now we are preparing to sample some chili. After all chilies have been sampled then get a bowl and enjoy the food and fellowship. Don’t let anyone try to entice you. This is a good hunger. Eat until you are satisfied but don’t over-eat.
