Jump Start # 156 

Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

  Purity is a hallmark of God. Purity and holiness go together. God is holy. We are to be holy. Often when this verse comes to mind we tend to think of the things that take away this purity, such as filthy language, pornography, immodesty, trashy TV shows. However, in the context it seems that Jesus has something else in mind. So far we have noted that the beatitudes focus upon the spiritual characteristics of the citizens in the kingdom. That theme must be maintained to be consistent in thought.

  Pure in heart as used here is about being centrally focused upon God. It is that singular thought of the spiritual person—wanting to please God. It is not a heart that is distracted, or carried away with various ideas and thoughts. It is genuine, pure. When we use the expression, “pure gold” it means all the rock and other elements have been removed and all that remains is nothing but gold. It is pure gold. Pure in heart carries that idea. The opposite is found in the parable of the sower where some of the weeds grew and choked out the good plant. We could say that heart wasn’t pure—it was full of weeds. It is this idea that Jesus is driving at.

  In the story of Mary and Martha, the Lord said that Mary chose the good part. Paul would say, “there is one that that I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead.”

  To be pure in heart is to not be distracted. The world catches our attention. Materialism and just being busy with a bunch of nothing keeps us from being focused. Some trainers will put a special shield on a horses head which blocks the horse from seeing right or left—he can only look straight ahead. That’s what we need on our hearts. Have you even noticed in college basketball when a player on the visiting team is shooting a free throw that the fans underneath and behind the basket are waving signs and shouting and making all kinds of commotion? They are doing that to distract the shooter. He must be focused. We face the same thing. As we are looking at the Lord, Satan and all his helpers are waving signs and shouting at us to make us look away, to lose our concentration, to make us miss Heaven.

  Blessed are the pure in heart. Their reward? They shall see God. In Revelation 22:4 the expression is found, “they will see His (God’s) face.” Can you imagine seeing God? I’ve seen a U.S. president at a distance. I’ve seen famous singers at a distance. I’ve shaken the hand of professional race drivers. But to see God! And that will take place not in a vision, and not here on earth, but in God’s place, God’s home—Heaven. It is the focused that will see God. It is those who have not been distracted that will see God. It is those who have not been choked out by the world that will see God.

  Pure in heart. Nothing but God. Pure God. That’s hard to do. We have so many interests and so many layers. But God must come first. Later in this same sermon Jesus would say, “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” That is another way of saying, “be pure in heart.” God first. God always. Anything else, without God, is total and complete failure. We sing, “Purer in heart O God, help me to be…” Help us, Lord! We want to be pure in heart. We want to see you!

Roger