Do We Really Want to Do the Right Thing?
- Tom Faletti
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
In the Beatitudes, Jesus challenges us to hunger for righteousness – to have a deep desire to do what is right. But how do we know we have the right goals and are pursuing them in the right ways?
When I was a high school teacher, I saw how easy it was to seek approval in the wrong places. In some parts of their lives, some students seemed to care only about their own opinions and what their fellow students thought and rejected the perspectives of their parents, teachers, counselors, and even the coaches they obeyed without a thought on the sport field.
I did not want them to slavishly follow any human’s opinion – not their own, not even mine. But how could I help them develop an allegiance to a higher authority than themselves?
This is not a uniquely teenage problem. We see it everywhere we turn. Politicians sometimes place the highest priority on pleasing a political boss or party leader. Others seem to waft on the winds of public opinion. In both cases, what they truly believe takes a backseat.
In plagiarism cases, I often said to students, “I would like you to be the kind of person who can look at yourself in the mirror and say, ‘What I present to others as being me is really me.’” Similarly, we want our leaders to be able to say, “I stand up for what I actually think is right, not just what is politically expedient or what my party leader wants me to do.”
Righteous but not self-righteous
But there is a danger in telling people that they should do (what they think is) the right thing. It can lead in unpredictable directions.
Often, people decide they are right (based on strong or flimsy evidence) and then “righteously” proceed to act in mean and unrighteous ways. It can be easy to say to ourselves, Of course, I’m righteous. I know what the right thing is and I'm doing it – and use that as justification to tread all over other people, ignore the greater good, and even trash the dignity of others (because, after all, we might think, They’re wrong, they’re probably evil, and they probably even want to do evil to others and to our country).
So we need to avoid being self-righteous even when we are doing what we think is right. Self-righteousness leads us to ignore any external standard of moral goals or behavior in favor of what we have already decided.
Where does our standard of righteousness come from? Consider the Beatitudes
In the section of the Sermon on the Mount known as the Beatitudes, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matt. 5:6).
Notice that he didn’t say, Blessed are those who are righteous. We need a clearer standard than that. Just because you think you’re righteous doesn’t mean you are. We can do all manner of evil if we think we are righteous, especially if we think we get to decide what “righteous” is.
Jesus pointed in a different direction. He said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” When you hunger and thirst for something, it means you recognize that you don’t already have it. It means you know that it isn’t already inside of you or in your grasp.
Jesus wants us to look outside of ourselves for verification of what is morally right (righteous). Yet he doesn’t want us to decide what is right based on the views of those around us, either.
The standard Jesus sets for us is to be “children of [our] Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:45), and to “be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt. 5:48). Thinking we are right doesn’t give us a pass to think bad thoughts, say mean things, or do wrong in order to achieve the “good.” We still need to treat others with kindness, compassion, mercy, respect, and love, as God treats us.
That’s why, in those plagiarism cases, I usually tried to include in my words to a student that integrity means being able to look God in the eye and tell him that you have been honest and presented yourself genuinely to others. (One of the beautiful things about teaching in a Catholic school is that when issues come up that are inherently spiritual – such as who you are as a person – you can treat them accordingly if the student has shown an interest in viewing the world through a spiritual lens [sometimes I had to ask questions before deciding whether to pose it that way].)
What does it mean to “hunger and thirst” for righteousness?
By using the phrase “hunger and thirst,” Jesus implies that being righteous isn’t always obvious or easily grasped. We need to deeply desire it and work for it. It’s like the difference between the casual ballplayer who shoots a few hoops in the backyard for fun, and the dedicated athlete who hungers to be the absolute best at his or her position and to strive to win the championship.
Jesus wants us to hunger for the attitudes, words, and actions that are morally upright. He wants us to have a thirst for the wisdom and ethical sensitivity that lead to actions where our goals are God’s goals, and our means are consistent with God’s character.
To be that kind of person, we might need to look ourselves in the mirror before we start to make a decision, and ask ourselves: Do I really want to be morally right? Or is it just for show?
You can explore more about how to apply this and other Beatitudes in our lives here:
Among the questions you will find are these:
In general, how is hungering or thirsting for something different than simply wanting it?
Do we truly hunger and thirst for righteousness? Or do we tend to just want some righteousness?
What can we do to become more like the person Jesus pictures who hungers for total righteousness?
We often learn more by discussing challenging topics with others, so don’t be afraid to invite a partner to explore these questions with you. And feel free to comment below or reach out to me if it raises questions in your mind. If you post a comment or question, we can have a conversation here at Faith Explored and learn from each other.
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