Blessed are the Pure in Heart

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Blessed are the Pure in Heart

Scripture: Matthew 5:8 (ESV)

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Devotion:

          Today’s scripture paints a vivid word picture. Jesus may have in mind here Psalm 24:3-4 (NRSV) 3      Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?

                                                And who shall stand in his holy place?

                              4      Those who have clean hands and pure hearts,

                                                who do not lift up their souls to what is false,

                                                 and do not swear deceitfully.

The words “Pure in heart should not be restricted to moral, still less sexual, purity; it denotes one who loves God with all his heart (Deut. 6:5), with an undivided loyalty, and whose inward nature corresponds with his outward profession. (cf. Isa. 29:13).” ‘[1] “The “pure in heart” exhibit a single-minded devotion to God that stems from the internal cleansing created by following Jesus.”[2]

         

          Following Jesus is essential to living the Christian life. Jesus called everyone to follow him. Belief in Jesus alone does not make one a disciple of Jesus. Walking with Jesus. Following in his footsteps is essential for one who would be called a Christ follower. There are many examples of Jesus explicitly calling someone to follow him. Simon Peter and Andrew along with James and John were called from their fishing nets and followed him immediately. Matthew got us from his tax collecting booth and followed the Lord. Others were not so eager to follow Jesus. The Rich Young Ruler of Matthew 19:16-29 went away sad because he could not see selling his many possessions in order to follow Jesus.

 

          “They shall see God” is an expression of faith that God will himself be visible to those who have purified their hearts. “This vision of God commences when the eye of the soul opens, or when spiritual vision begins in the regenerate heart (Eph. 1:18): it is perfected when in eternity we shall see Him face to face (1 Cor. 13:12; 1 John 3:2).”[3] This purification of the heart occurs both over time and instantaneously upon the death of the follower of Jesus. Truly happy will we be when we see God face to face in glory. Even for the present we must be content to see as through a glass darkly all shall be revealed in the end. Let us pray…

 

          Prayer: Holy God who is unseen with mortal eyes be present to our inmost being as we seek to follow your son Jesus. We ask for the eyes of our hearts to be purified so that we may see you as you are. Give us the will to follow Jesus no matter what hardship or difficulty may befall us. Amen.


[1] R. T. France, Matthew: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 1, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 116.

[2] Craig Blomberg, Matthew, vol. 22, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 100.

[3] John Peter Lange and Philip Schaff, A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Matthew (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2008), 103.

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