Matthew 5:1-12

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Matthew 5:1-12 

           “Blessed are the pure in heart,      for they will see God.” (verse 8)

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This verse, so familiar, often passed by, stands out to me today. Yes, I believe it encompasses a future hope of standing in God’s very presence, face to face in that great day – praise God. But I also believe this promise has something within it for right here, right now – seeing the Lord in my daily walk, experiencing him in intimacy, being drawn more deeply into relationship and communication.

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Lord, this is what I want. May there be more, Lord.

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What I hear in this verse is that purity of heart opens the door to this blessing. This instruction speaks of uncluttered devotion to the Lord, distractions of mind and imagination and will being cleared out of the way. “Unite my heart to fear your name,” says the psalmist (Psalm 73:1). Again, in answer to his own questions (“Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?”), David responds: “He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false” (Psalm 24:3-4).

The problem, of course, is that I am weak and fallible. So many things pass through my heart and mind each day that could not be described as “pure.” So often my heart is not “united.” So often my hands are not “clean.”

Praise God, each of these is remedied through my Saviour. Clean hands and a pure heart have freely been given me in Jesus! Each impurity has been washed away by his cross. Where temptation leads to sin, I am called to confess it, to know his cleansing once again (like water washing crusty feet), and to allow him to re-unite my heart in allegiance to him.

So, too, for each of us who has trusted Jesus. We have been made pure in Christ. We are called to live consciously in that place, to not let sin reign in mind or body, but rather to keep Jesus as Lord in heart and life.

But there is something further here, giving instruction for seeing God. The residual clutter and noise of the heart needs to be cleared and calmed, taking every thought captive to Christ, allowing the purity of Jesus to win the day. We are called to live our life “in Christ,” moment by moment. And what huge incentive we have received to press further into this process. Simply put, we have the prospect of seeing God more clearly. That means deeper intimacy. It means more focused awareness of his presence in every moment. It means having eyes on Jesus for each successive step.

Oh, may I press on, being vigilant, submitting gladly to the ongoing work of the Lord himself in mind and heart.

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O Lord, as the old hymn says, “take my heart, it is thine own.” Purify it entirely so that I am truly yours, living as one who is “eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14).

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Try it: Here’s a simple task. Set three separate alarms on your smart phone reminding yourself to pause and remember that in Jesus you are indeed pure in heart. If anything has gotten in the way, confess it. Then, in that place of cleansing, experience his presence. Give him thanks. Nurture the connection.

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Photo by Jan Antonin Kolar on Unsplash