Sermon Recap: Hungering for What Matters Most

This past Sunday at Heritage United Methodist Church in Clearwater, Florida, Pastor Matt Horan continued our walk through the Beatitudes, and the focus was on one of the most powerful lines from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount:

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

This one hit home. Hunger and thirst are things we all understand—they’re daily, urgent, and necessary for life. Pastor Matt reminded us that Jesus intentionally chose those words to describe our desire for God’s righteousness. It’s not a casual craving—it’s a deep, soul-level need. 

While Pastor Matt preached, I thought of when I am running errands with my husband at Sam’s Club or Target and I see something that I have to have.  I NEEEEEEED it.  My husband will say, “No, you don’t neeeeeed it.  You want it.”  But I just know that I can’t live without it.  Of course, I know it is a want and not a true need and we have a good laugh about my dramatic declaration of need that is really a want and move about our day.  But it did make me think about whether or not I treat God’s righteousness as something I have to have, that I’m desperate for, that I NEEEEEEED. Many of us can probably relate to having an extreme desire for something that is not really a need.  

Righteousness, Pastor Matt explained, isn’t about being self-righteous or trying to look “holier than thou.” It’s about longing for God’s goodness, justice, and truth to take root in our own hearts and in the world around us. It’s about seeking His will, even when the world tells us to chase after wealth, comfort, or status.

Here is what stayed with me: “they will be filled.” When we chase after the things of the world, we’re never satisfied. There’s always something more to buy, more to achieve, more to prove. But when we hunger and thirst for righteousness, Jesus says we’ll find the kind of fulfillment that truly lasts.

Here is my challenge, and I’ll call you to the challenge along with me:  Are you desperate for God’s righteousness?  Do you NEEEEEEED it?  Sitting in the pews, I thought about what I’m hungry for. Am I craving success? Approval? Comfort? Or am I genuinely hungry for God’s ways to shape my life? That’s the challenge of this Beatitude—our appetites reveal what we’re truly seeking.

At Heritage UMC, we don’t just talk about these things on Sundays—we encourage one another to live them out. Whether it’s through serving in the community, supporting missions, or simply being people of grace in our workplaces and homes, we’re learning how to hunger and thirst for righteousness together.

If you’ve been searching for something more—something that fills your spirit instead of leaving you empty—I encourage you to lean into this promise. Jesus’ words are true: those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. And there’s no better place to explore that than here at Heritage United Methodist Church in Clearwater, Florida.