I Thirst… I Hunger…

Do you thirst or hunger?

Really do you?

And do you really understand what it means to thirst and hunger?

I would venture to say no to all 3 questions. I would have to say that most of us really don’t thirst or hunger for anything. We may think we do, but I don’t think we really do.

We may have a pet project we are working on, or it could even be a life long passion, such as feeding the poor, or pro-live or any of about 6 billion other issues we all can join in. But even if it is our life’s passion, I would still venture to say that none us really thirst and hunger.

So why would I say that, I can imagine more then a few of you getting a little upset with me, saying to yourself, “Who does he think he is, he don’t even know me, and he is telling me that I don’t thirst and hunger”.

Yep, I sure am, and here is why…

Let look back to the early Christians, lets say shortly after the death and Resurrection of Jesus…

They thirst and hunger with all they did, they put their life on the line every day, just to tell someone about Jesus, and what he did.

Lets look at what they said, and how that was thirst and hunger…

Jesus was born of a virgin… In the time of Jesus, Mary, his mother, would have been stoned for having sex outside of mirage, but they still proclaimed it! Loudly it’s not like is was hidden in the text somewhere, it was out there for all to see…

Jesus was God… Once again this was not acceptable to the others, this was cause for killing, they did kill Jesus and his followers could have been killed for stating the Jesus was God, this was blaspheme, a very serious offence, one punishable by death. But they put it out there for all to see…

 Jesus hung with the bad crowed, and went up agents the high priest, he was a revolutionary, and his followers where considered the same, but they still wrote it all down, told the stories. This could have gotten them killed…. But they put it out there for all to see…

They claimed that he had risen from the dead, they proclaimed it loudly, for all to hear, hide nothing, putting there life at risk. It was not a very popular point of view, the powers that be wanted to put Jesus behind them, wanted to shut everyone up about him, but they still put it out there for all to see…

They where thirsty for the truth and hungry to spread it! They put there life on the line every-time they opened there mouth to proclaim the glory of God, and his only Son Jesus.

So really do we thirst and hunger? Do we put our life on the line everyday just to spread the good news? Do we forsake all for the glory of God. I am sure some of the family member’s of His followers begged them to just to keep their mouths shut! I am sure more then on follower last everything for the kingdom, family friends, wife, husband, kids.

So really do we thirst and hunger?

We need to learn to thirst for truth and hunger to share it with everyone, but all to often we back down, or don’t want to “push” our faith on others, or our “Point of view” on them. But really it’s because we don’t really thirst and hunger.

The followers of Jesus did not concern themselves with being seen as pushy, they only hungered to teach, to spread the news, and thirst for truth.

So be honest and ask yourself, do you really thirst and hunger?

I know I don’t, and I know I want to, but it’s hard, and scary, and all to often lonely… But I also know that I must learn to…

I Thirst… For Truth

I Hunger… For Faith

Paul