“Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” – Matthew 13:17
Imagine you are drowning. As you thrash and fight to reach the surface, the ocean current keeps pulling you underwater. Waves smash against you and a blizzard of bubbles blurs your vision.
You are desperate. Your mind races and then locks in on the one thing you want; the one thing you need more than anything else at this moment – air. All that you long for is to breathe. You exert every last once of your energy and strength to reach the surface.
This image seems to exemplify that deep feeling of longing, that desire that springs from the depths of our soul and resounds in our very bones. It is a visceral yearning and an almost painful pining likened to hunger pangs and heartache.
Psalm 42:2 captures the idea beautifully: “As a deer longs for streams of water, so my soul longs for you, O God.” Here is the key: God is the ultimate object of our longing. As Saint Augustine wrote in his Confessions, “You have formed us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in You.”
In this Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus identifies Himself as the fulfillment of all our longing. He is our most secure hope and profound joy. In Him alone will we find fullness of life. Blessed indeed are those called to the supper of the Lamb! (Revelation 19:9)
Imagine what our lives would be like if we realized Who we truly long for and put aside the vanities with which we preoccupy ourselves. What if we sought instead, above all, the kingdom of God and His righteousness? What if we sought God as fiercely as we would seek air when we were drowning? Surely we would be blessed and satisfied, as was His promise to all who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
And if that’s not enough good news, then here’s something better: as much as we long for God, He longs for us all the more. He longs for us to the point of death, even death on a Cross.
Lord Jesus, You are the desire of our hearts. Reveal yourself to us and let your light shine upon us. Open our eyes that we may see you in our neighbors and especially in the distressing disguise of the poor. Grant that we may dwell in your presence all the days of our lives. Amen.
