"Blessed are They who Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness.” Dr. Chapman Chen

“Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled," says Jesus (Matthew 5:6). As God is the Lord of Righteousness and Jesus Christ is an advocate of righteousness, only God can genuinely meet our spiritual, mental, and even material needs. That’s why the Psalmist’s soul thirsts for God and his flesh faints for Him, “as in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Ps 63:1). That’s also why Jesus says, “But strive first for the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt 6:33). To go vegan and adopt a compassionate attitude towards other creatures of God is the key to the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.

1. God is Righteousness

“For the LORD is righteous; he loves righteousness; the upright shall behold his face.” (Psalm 11:7)

”The LORD is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.” (Psalm 145:17)

“There is no other God besides me, a righteous God and a Saviour; there is none besides me.” (Isaiah 45:21)

“A God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.” (Deuteronomy 32:4)

2. God as “the Lord our Righteousness”

“This is his name by which he will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (Jeremiah 23:6)

“…she shall be called: The LORD is our righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:16)

3. Jesus as an Advocate of Righteousness  

"...if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." (1 John 2:1)

4. Righteousness is Bound up with Compassion

Righteousness is inseparable from compassion and peace.

“A righteous man cares for the life of his animal.” (Proverbs 12:10)

“…you save humans and animals alike, O LORD.” (Psalm 36:6)

“The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat… They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain.” (Isaiah 11:6–9)

5. Only Righteousness Truly Satisfies Our Hunger

5.1. Meatism Triggers a Vicious Circle

Burnt animal flesh covered with melted dairy cheese may provide temporary sensory pleasure to carnists, yet it fails to satisfy a deeper need that they can’t fully define. They therefore seek greater satisfaction through increasingly lavish meals of animal products, only to discover that their inner void remains. As pointed out by Norm Phelps (2002:151–152), the hunger they are attempting to satisfy is ultimately a hunger for righteousness rather than for animal products.

5.2. What Satisfies Both the Stomach and the Soul?

What disturbs our inner peace is the awareness that we are engaging in cruelty, not love, when we consume sentient beings and/or abuse them. A meal of fresh veggies and soy burger, on the other hand, provides the same pleasure but leaves no negative spiritual after-effect, as we understand that our choice caused no harm or death to innocent creatures who had not wronged us. A righteous, compassionate, and ethical attitude of non-violence towards all creatures of God fills both the stomach and the soul (cf. Phelps 2002:151-2).

Full Text: https://www.vegantheology.net/post/blessed-are-they-who-hunger-and-thirst-after-righteousness-dr-chapman-chen