A hunger for more
Series: Simple. Quiet. Present. | Bible text: Psalm 73; John 20:24–28
Deep within us lies a profound longing for more. No matter what we try to use to satisfy this longing, we never reach the point where it is enough. This longing can only be satisfied through a personal encounter with the risen Jesus. Only then can we live in God’s supernatural peace.
Does anyone else remember one of those Snickers adverts? There’s a group of friends and an older, nagging woman – or a monster – who’s tearing everything to shreds. Then one of the friends pulls out a Snickers and says something like, «Whenever you’re hungry, you turn into a diva». The slogan for it is: «You’re not yourself when you’re hungry». The advert went down well – why? Because most people could relate to it in some way. Perhaps you’ve experienced this situation yourself, or seen it in a friend, your child or whoever. In English, there’s even a term for it: «hangry». A combination of ‘hungry’ and ‘angry’. I asked my husband if that’s the case for me too, but he didn’t dare answer… it was before dinner. No, I’m afraid he did say yes. Be it hunger, lack of sleep or stress – and the resulting lack of peace and quiet and breaks. When we feel we’re lacking something, it’s usually not the best side of ourselves that comes to the fore. Sometimes the person we become is so unpleasant and alien to us that we’d gladly agree with the Snickers advert and say, ‘I’m not myself when I’m hungry’.
Our longing
We can take active steps to combat hunger, lack of sleep and stress. Our problem is that, deep down, there is another kind of hunger within us. This hunger, too, drives us to take action. There is a longing that we try to satisfy in various ways. One option we can choose is constant activity. Always experiencing something new, always on the move. Every event, every adventure is meant to surpass the last. Another way is through material possessions. And this form often manifests itself more subtly than we realise. I don’t want a house. I’d be fine living without a car, and as long as my mobile works, I don’t care about the rest. But do you know how good it feels to order a pair of shoes from Zalando when you’re not feeling your best? What’s more, I’m a complete weakling when it comes to kitchen appliances and baking bits and bobs. And right now, I absolutely mustn’t go into a shop selling baby bits and bobs! If ownership is a way of satisfying our hunger, it’s rarely about the big status symbols, but rather the little pleasures we simply treat ourselves to. You can also try to satisfy this hunger through achievements – a qualification, a title or a desired position at work. And last but not least, we try to satisfy this hunger through relationships. This could be a relationship with our parents, children or grandchildren, our partner, or a good friend of a friend. We then try to bind that person to us and get enough out of that relationship to satisfy our inner hunger. The problem with all these options, however, is that we’ll never get enough. It doesn’t even have to be a crisis, but no matter how much of these things we have, it’s only enough when we have a little more. Be completely honest with yourself for a moment: what is it in your life that’s still missing before it feels sufficient?
True Hunger
But where does this insatiable hunger come from? I have two pieces of good news for you. Firstly, you’re not alone. You can open the Bible – you don’t even have to read very far before you come across the first two people who had almost everything, and yet it still wasn’t enough. After that, every few pages at the latest, you’ll find someone else experiencing this phenomenon. To put it briefly, it’s a recurring theme that runs through the Bible. It’s a collection of people who are searching for more. Secondly, this hunger isn’t the result of our sinful nature. On the contrary, I actually believe that God Himself has placed this hunger within us. And it is precisely this hunger that holds enormous potential, for good as well as for bad. If you’ve attended a few church services in your life, or even grown up in a church environment, you’ll of course know that Jesus alone can satisfy our longings. Very good, you’ve been paying close attention. But quite honestly, is that how we experience it in everyday life? Do you believe in Jesus and find that your longings simply vanish into thin air?
Hungry Thomas
I’d like to take you on a journey through the story of a young man from the Bible. OK, it’s really just a snapshot from his story, but it’s a powerful one! He’s someone we’re all too quick to look down on, even though many of us actually recognise ourselves in him. I’m talking about Thomas. He is one of Jesus« twelve disciples and, as such, was one of his closest companions for many years. Thomas witnessed signs and wonders and sat in the front row at many of Jesus’ sermons. Thomas was very loyal to Jesus. When it came to going to Bethany to visit Lazarus, the disciples tried to talk Jesus out of the idea, as Bethany is right next to Jerusalem and Jesus had nearly been stoned there shortly before. Only Thomas said outright that he would go with him, even if it meant his death. A clear statement. However, if we fast-forward a few weeks, we suddenly see a different Thomas. A hungry Thomas. His Jesus had been crucified and laid in the tomb. Everything seems lost and all hope extinguished. He is no longer himself and withdraws from everyone. For this reason, he is not present when the risen Jesus appears to the other disciples. We read about this in John 20. “But Thomas, one of the Twelve, known as Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. Then the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the mark of the nails and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.’.» (John 20:24–25 ELB). Thomas had experienced so much with Jesus, and yet this did not seem to be enough. He harboured a longing within him – a longing to experience the risen Jesus for himself with all his senses. Let us not forget, either, that the other disciples are good at talking. At first, they did not believe the women either when they told of the empty tomb; it was only when they saw him themselves that they believed. You can believe in Jesus, in his life, his death and the empty tomb. You can keep God’s commandments and do the right thing throughout your life. Yet a hunger may still remain within you, just as it did with Thomas. And sooner or later, this hunger will drive us into doubt. The question is how we deal with it. Do we suppress this doubt to the point where we turn away from God, or can we express it freely and openly, like Thomas?
Jesus’ reply
Jesus« reaction to this is, once again, so wonderful. We read in the following verses: ‘And eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Then Jesus came, even though the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands; reach out your hand and place it in my side; do not be unbelieving, but believe!’» (John 20:26–27 ELB). Jesus addresses Thomas directly, almost immediately. And he does not merely address him personally; he responds precisely to the needs Thomas had previously expressed. The other disciples were already convinced. The starting signal to carry the Gospel out into the world had been given. Jesus did not need to win Thomas over. Not out of self-interest, but out of pure love, Jesus meets Thomas personally, on equal terms. To be saved, faith in Jesus, the Cross and the Resurrection is sufficient. Out of pure love, Jesus does not stop there, but gives us the opportunity to meet him personally. For from the very beginning, the restored relationship between humankind and God has been the goal, and the fruit of this restored relationship is an intimate encounter with God.
My Lord and my God
This encounter has a profound effect on us. The Bible says almost nothing else about Thomas. Nevertheless, we know from other sources that he is believed to have taken the Gospel as far as India, where he was martyred in 72 AD. He had declared that he would die for Jesus, and his encounter with the risen Messiah gave him the strength and faith to follow this path to the very end. But what I would like to emphasise here, however, is what we can read in verse 28: namely, Thomas’s response. «Thomas replied and said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’» (John 20:28 ELB). It is enough for Thomas to see Jesus. He does not even need to touch his wounds. The encounter alone is enough. His response is, on the one hand, revolutionary, as Thomas is the first to refer to Jesus not merely as the Son of God, but directly as God. On the other hand, he does not merely say «Lord and God», but «MY Lord and MY God». In this statement, reverence meets intimacy. This is the result of a personal encounter with Jesus. It brings us to our knees in awe of our God and, at the same time, creates an intimacy that runs deeper than any other relationship.
Your God, my God
Thomas has seen many deeds and miracles with his own eyes. Now he is experiencing the miracle taking place within him. The point is, if you do not personally experience God’s presence and encounter him in silence, your faith remains merely the faith of others. Your hunger and your longing remain unfulfilled. You will remain stuck in that feeling that you need just a little bit more before it is enough. We remain restless in our striving, finding neither rest nor inner peace. There is a very simple yardstick by which we can tell whether we are living out of this peace or whether we may still be plagued by this unfulfilled hunger. Do we allow our neighbour to enjoy what they have, if it is something we truly wish for ourselves? Can you genuinely rejoice in another person’s success, possessions or extended holidays, or might a hint of envy creep in? I don’t want to make you feel guilty, but rather to encourage you not to simply suppress these feelings. See it as a call to reach out to God. Oh, how great was my envy during the years when I was single and everyone around me was in a relationship, engaged or married. And again when it felt as though everyone around me was pregnant and having children, whilst month after month we couldn’t conceive – and then we lost two children as well. Both times it was a process. You cannot force this deep, intimate encounter with Jesus. Even with Thomas, it was Jesus who came to him, not the other way round. Nevertheless, we can reach out for it. It is up to us to seek Jesus with all our hearts and to direct our longing towards experiencing his presence. I experience this time and again on a small scale in my everyday life, but as I’ve already mentioned, there have been moments in my life when I’ve had to engage with this process particularly intensely. On both occasions, it wasn’t something that was sorted with just two or three prayers. It involved hours and days spent in prayer, persevering over weeks and months. For me, David is a great role model in this respect. God Himself says of him that he was a man after His own heart. In the Psalms, we read time and again that David sought God with all his heart. He strove with his whole being to see God’s glory. I’m delighted that later on we’ll also be singing a hymn based on one of these Psalms, Psalm 63. There’s no instruction manual and no secret formula, but there are certainly some helpful tools. We’ve already heard a great deal about this over the past few weeks and months. To conclude, I’d like to share with you what has proved particularly helpful for me during these processes and might perhaps be of help to you too. Firstly, there were the Psalms I’ve already mentioned. Psalm 63, in particular, became a personal prayer for me, which I prayed every time to begin my quiet time. Secondly, it was fasting. Fasting opens your mind in a special way to God’s presence, and it also trains your body to put your worldly needs aside. And last but not least, it was prayer – particularly worship in a group setting, but also at home on my own. I have learnt to worship God not only through set hymns on Sunday mornings, but quite simply in my own words, at any time of day, in any place, alone or together with others. This has opened the gates of heaven for me during this time. With all my heart, I continually long for and yearn for a personal encounter with the Risen One. Just as much, I wish for every single person in this hall and at home in front of their screens to have this personal encounter, and that you may have the courage and perseverance to set out in longing for this encounter, and to experience how your deepest hunger is satisfied in it.
Possible questions for the small group
Let’s read Psalm 73 together, or the verses from John 20:24–28
- Are you aware of the ways in which you try to satisfy your inner hunger? What are they? (Activity, success, possessions, relationships)
- Are there things that you find particularly difficult to let the other person enjoy?
- How are things in your heart at the moment? Is your faith currently more of an intellectual exercise, or do you live out of a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus?
- Which tools help you to draw closer to God after a personal encounter with Him?
- What specific steps will you take over the next two weeks to seek God’s presence?
