Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8
The song I quoted in the sermon last week alluded to this verse. It said, “Purity of heart is to will one thing, but I’ve got a lot on my mind.” That about sums up how many of us relate to this passage. I have often thought about my heart as a mixed bag of motives all jumbled up together. I pray that the good and right motives will grow and thrive while the less than pure ones will wither and die. Perhaps you can relate to my predicament.
So when I come to this verse, my heart cries out to experience it fully. This experience is also known variously as integrity, sincerity, a lack of duplicity. Kingdom Ethics, a book about the ethical teachings of Jesus, describes it as “a correspondence between outward action and inward thought”. There is a singleness of intention to please God and to accomplish His will and a corresponding absence of selfish ambition.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus refers to people who pray, fast, and give to be seen by other people. This is a perfect example of hearts that aren’t pure. There is an incongruity between actions and the outcomes that are truly longed for in the heart. Giving isn’t meant to bless, rather it is meant to bring glory to the giver. Praying isn’t meant to speak to God but rather to earn “spiritual points” with other people. We must pray against this kind of duplicity in our hearts. Whenever we see it, we must pray that the Father will tear that darkness out by the roots. He is good, He will surely answer such prayers!
Jesus says that the pure in heart will see God. Certainly, He is referring to seeing Him after this life, but surely He is also telling us that people who sincerely, truly, really, whole-heartedly long to accomplish God’s will are going to see God working in and through their lives. What mercy! What grace! What love!
– Deryk Pritchard, Preacher