Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
Of all the Beatitudes, this one is the one that hinges on all the rest. You cannot be “poor in spirit” if your heart is not pure. You cannot mourn for a separation from God if you are not pure in heart. You cannot be meek or hunger and thirst for righteousness, or be merciful without being pure of heart. You cannot be a peacemaker or be persecuted for righteousness in Jesus’ name if you are not pure of heart. Bottom line, being pure of heart is the essences of the blessings of God because all the others are subject to the state of your heart.
When you think about your life, what are your goals? Most of us finished high school, started a trade or went to college. Some of us finished college, started a career or graduate school. After graduate school, we got a job, married, started a family, saved money, bought a house, a car, put in a swimming pool or purchased an RV. Some of us have kids that are in school or graduated. We have kids married and starting families. We are saving for retirement or are retired. Now what?
The question this Beatitude answers is really simple – our lives must be dedicated to loving and serving God – to learning about His Word and implementing it in our lives. Our plans should be more about God and His vision for our lives than a nest egg of money. When we live with a pure heart, a heart that yearns for God, a heart that loves our neighbors, a heart that wants to honor God, all the rest falls into place.
The plans of our lives should start with the simple statement, “I want to develop a heart that is pure in God’s sight.”
At the very heart of receiving the blessings of God is our heart. What is the state of your heart?
