Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
– Matthew 5:8
In this short sequence of beatitudes, we find one category for which it would seem nearly impossible to qualify. Of those who mourn, there are plenty. Probably fewer of the meek, but some nevertheless. But the pure in heart? Who honestly belongs in that category other than Jesus himself? Still, if this were the case, why would Jesus have mentioned those who are pure in heart? Our first task appears to be to understand what Jesus had in mind when he identified such people.
The word translated as “pure” in the Greek manuscripts is katharos. From it we get words like “catharsis,” which describes release. The word is used several times in the New Testament, often translated as “pure,” and just as often as “clean.” It might describe an object, like a garment or a utensil, that has been cleansed of impurities. Figuratively it describes the human heart that has been renewed by the Holy Spirit. It is probably what King David had in mind when he wrote, “Create in me a clean heart, O God” (Psalm 51:10). The apostle James rightly says to the “double-minded” to “purify your hearts” (James 4:8). Having a “clean” or “pure” heart conveys the absence of sinful persuasion and intent, having a desire solely for God rather than the evil ways of our human condition. Selfishness and harmful motives cease to be driving forces.
With this in mind, we can see that Jesus was not describing a person whose heart is utterly without sin. Instead he was describing those who have learned to hunger for God and seek Him above all things. For them, no one but God satisfies. They are willing to sell all they have in order to purchase the field where the treasure of the Kingdom is buried (see Matthew 13:44). Such a person is like the apostle Paul, who considered all things as loss in order to gain Christ (Philippians 3:8).
Do we encounter such people in the Bible? I think so. In addition to those already mentioned, let me go out on a limb and suggest two people we find in the birth narrative of Jesus. In Luke 2:25-38 we meet two people who were present in Jerusalem when Mary and Joseph came to dedicate Jesus. Among the multitude of people in the Temple that day, Simeon and Anna are the only two people who were able to “see Jesus.” Why were they able? Because they were looking, or to put it a different way, because they were pure in heart.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. To such people, God fulfills the promise that those who seek shall find. Invite the Holy Spirit to create in you a heart that is singularly focused on Jesus. He will give you eyes to see.
See you along the Winding Path.
The Winding Path 