Living a Blessed LifeSample

Scripture

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” Matthew 5:9

The Bible speaks of several good conditions of the human heart. It speaks often of a clean heart, but that doesn’t seem to be what Jesus is talking about here. What is this attribute that He is seeking us to cultivate? What is this purity of heart?

Let’s try to answer this question by comparing clean water and pure water. Clean water is water that has been taken through a process and is deemed safe for human consumption. The contaminants and pollutants are gone, and helpful things are often added, making the water safe and beneficial to drink. We have clean water. But Jesus doesn’t say, “Blessed are those with clean hearts,” Although this is highly commendable. He says here, “Blessed are the pure in heart.” Pure water is water with nothing but water in it! It’s 100% water with no pollutants and no additives. It is water in its most pristine state.

So, who are the pure in heart? Jesus must be speaking of those who’ve had such dealings with the Lord Himself, that all other ingredients, affections, and desires are gone; there’s just one thing left–the desire for the love of God. It’s as if He is telling us, “Blessed is the man who has had everything else removed, everything else filtered out, until all that is left is–I love You, Father. You’re everything. You’re all that matters. Your will is all that I seek. My whole life is a simple Yes, Lord!”

Paul said,

“But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3).

Of all the gospel stories, perhaps Mary of Bethany most typifies the pure in heart. We always find her at the feet of Jesus, lovingly adoring Him and listening to His voice. In John 12, a few days before His death, we find her at His feet, anointing Him for burial with a bottle of perfume worth an entire year’s wages–all she had! Earlier (Luke 10), we find her sitting there listening to His words while Martha angrily gets the lunch ready. When Martha bursts into the room, shouting her protests to Him about her lazy sister, Jesus responds with, “But one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken from her'' (Luke 10:42). One thing–a pure heart; a heart with nothing but Jesus Himself, His love, and His will at the center of all things.

The Promise: They shall see God! This is the greatest reward of all. We shall know Him, see Him, and have an ever-deepening revelation of Him in our lives and ministry. We shall see Him in the blowing of the wind, in the gentle mountain stream, and in the faithfulness and power of the ocean waves. We shall see Him in the joy and laughter of a child, in the somber faces of the impoverished, and in the smallest moments of life. We shall see God!

Prayer: Father, you are all we want. You are our deepest desire, and all our affection is laid out before you. We want to be like Mary of Bethany, where all we want is to know you and sit at your feet. Open our eyes to see you, and open our hearts to truly know you.