Hear the word from the mouth of the Lord:
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Matthew 5:8
Lois Barrett explains this beatitude:
The dominant culture today hardly ever uses the word pure, except in a chemical sense. In fact, most people do not see personal purity as a possible or even a desirable goal, everyone is tainted somehow. The beatitude speaks of being “pure” or “clean” in heart. Jewish law described being clean or pure as physical cleanliness (washing hands, being free of disease), ritual cleanliness (washing ceremonies and sacrifices), and practicing justice an mercy toward one’s neighbors. The prophets saw ritual cleanliness as of no value if one were not also practicing justice. In Isaiah 1:10-20 the prophet says that God will not listen to the prayers and sacrifices of those who are doing wrong. But forgiveness, becoming clean, is possible for those who seek justice, encourage the oppressed, and defend the orphan and the widow. Thus in one sense, to be pure in heart is to act justly, to forgive, not to carry resentments, to be in right relationship with others. Such people will also be in right relationship with God.
Isaiah 1:10-20
Hear the word of the Lord …
What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs, or of goats.
When you come to appear before me,
who asked this from your hand?
Trample my courts no more;
bringing offerings is futile;
incense is an abomination to me…
I am weary of bearing them.
When you stretch out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.
Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your doings
from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
learn to do good;
seek justice,
rescue the oppressed,
defend the orphan,
plead for the widow.
Come now, let us argue it out,
says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be like snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.
If you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land …
Because of your passion for good and justice,
as a consequence of your intervention for the oppressed,
for your advocacy on behalf of the orphan
(whether a physical, emotional, social, or spiritual orphan),
since you care for the widow,
then the mouth of God declares you pure,
even pure in heart.
What does the Lord say?
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God!”
Are we prepared to see God?
“Mercy,” we might answer, “Not yet!”
No, I’m serious. Are we prepared to see God?
Because I don’t believe that Jesus meant that
we would have to wait until the day of his last coming.
I’m pretty sure that Jesus meant that if we are pure,
we will see God now.
If we see the things as being important that
God sees as being important,
then we will start to see how
God is moving, in this world, at this very time,
to deal with those important things.
Since we will be pure enough in heart
not to take the credit for ourselves,
we can see the work of God’s hand
and praise him when we do.
Prepare your heart to see God at work today.
Blessings,
Ron
Scriptures are quoted from the NRSV
