This is
an assigned post in response to Paul Louis Metzger’s post “Blessed
are the pure in heart”—not the double-minded and those with cloudy vision.
Purity
of heart an essential trait of the true disciple, the citizen of the kingdom of
heaven, (as seen in the verses above) can be tied to Matthew 5:4’s “Blessed are
those who mourn...” We mourn
for our sins and it leads us to confess, repent, and be found pure in heart. When
the love of God illuminates our hearts and reveals our trashy tendencies, we
can either repent (allowing God to purify us), or we can turn off the light and
continue to pursue darkness. This characteristic is aptly tied to the
disciples' vision of God. Jim Forrest
compares those of the impure heart to a spiritually blind man,
The
19th Century preacher, Charles Spurgeon commented,
But purity of heart is not just a morally good life, but a focused or undivided heart. We are not to be playing both sides of the fence to our own advantage. God’s holiness is undivided in his love and mission to redeem the world. The vision of a holy God is, as Spurgeon wrote, a great deterrent to sin. But those who can see God as holy generally live their lives differently; they live wholly unto God. As it is written,
The
pure heart is the result of our confession and repentance (itself the result of
godly sorrow) and God's gracious sacrifice on our behalf. We have the promise of His Word,
We
also have the clear warning that if we do not repent (i.e., stop sinning and relationally
return to God) we will not see God—at least we will not see his blessing.
Likewise,
we are admonished by the Spirit-inspired author of Hebrews to…
To be pure in heart means that we have integrity, and we are unmixed in mind and attitude. Sin,
in any form, defiles, and
ruins everything that it touches. I
think of the stains that might be left on a fine suit by India ink, or perhaps
something we can relate to more readily today—the effect upon the environment
by water made impure by heavy metals, toxic chemicals, or radioactive isotopes.
To be pure in heart is the result of letting God wash us clean and reclaim us
for use through the precious blood of Jesus Christ, in comparison to which our
government's multi-billion dollar toxic waste clean-up "superfund" is
infinitesimally small.
The true disciple is the same inside as he is outside; there can be no hypocrisy in the kingdom of heaven, nor any distractions or divided loyalties. The disciple is satisfied to see God as the sole reward for a pure life lived for God. As it is written,
How many dark clouds of pride, anger, resentment, and other impurities blind us to the faithfulness of God’s promises? How many dust devils of distraction keep us looking off the path and away from the Lord?
When we are pure, undivided, and locked on target in following Jesus, we are open to seeing God at work all around us and in many places that we would not expect. Just like Jesus spoke through the parables to those who have “an ear to hear” so God shows himself to those who have a “healthy eye” full of light (Matthew 6:22). And that is its own reward, for, “To see God is to enter into the great joy of God's love, the dialogue of love within the holy Trinity.”[5]
Though today “we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” (1 Cor. 13:12)
One day we will sing, “I can see clearly now” and it will be the truth.
[1] Jim Forest, The Ladder of the Beatitudes, Orbis Books. Kindle Edition, 9.
Who shall ascend the hill of the
Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure
heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.
(Psalm 24:3-4)
"Blessed are the pure
in heart, for they will see God." (Matthew 5:8)
 |
| Sunrise over Galilee |
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| Looking through dirty windows? |
Putting ourselves in the place of the blind man, we can see
ourselves as blind from birth–not blind in the sense of being unable to see the
material world around us but blind in our inability to see God, blind in not
noticing the Creator in creation, blind in our inability to see God's image in
others. It is usually a worsening blindness; as we get older we tend to become
less and less amazed, so that things which were once astonishing become
ordinary.[1]
"Foul hearts make dim eyes Godward. To clear the eye we must cleanse the
heart. Only purity has any idea of God,
or any true vision of him. It is a great
reward to be able to see God; and, on the other hand, it is of great
help towards being pure in heart to have a true sight of the thrice-holy
One."[2]
But purity of heart is not just a morally good life, but a focused or undivided heart. We are not to be playing both sides of the fence to our own advantage. God’s holiness is undivided in his love and mission to redeem the world. The vision of a holy God is, as Spurgeon wrote, a great deterrent to sin. But those who can see God as holy generally live their lives differently; they live wholly unto God. As it is written,
"Dear friend, do not
imitate what is evil but what is good.
Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen
God." (3 John 11)
"If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)
"No one who lives in
him keeps on sinning. No one who
continues to sin has either seen him or known him." (1 John 3:6)
"Make every effort to
live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see
the Lord. See to it that no one
misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and
defile many." (Hebrews 12:14-15)
To be pure in heart means that we have integrity, and we are unmixed in mind and attitude. Sin,
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| Animas River Spill Photo NBC News |
When
Jesus talked of the pure in heart, he not only spoke of those who were free
from sin but of those who were completely devoted to God.
"'Pure in heart' should not be restricted to moral, still
less sexual, purity; it denotes one who loves God with all his heart
(Deut. 6:5), with an undivided loyalty,
and whose inward nature corresponds with his outward profession (Isaiah
29:13)."[3]
The true disciple is the same inside as he is outside; there can be no hypocrisy in the kingdom of heaven, nor any distractions or divided loyalties. The disciple is satisfied to see God as the sole reward for a pure life lived for God. As it is written,
"And I—in
righteousness I will see your face;
when I awake, I will
be satisfied with seeing your likeness." (Psalm 17:15)
This beatitude reminds
me of the 1972 Reggae song I Can See
Clearly Now, written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and made popular by Johnny
Nash before being covered by countless other artists…
I can see clearly now,
the rain is gone,
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.
I think I can make it
now, the pain is gone
All of the bad feelings have disappeared
Here is the rainbow I've been prayin' for
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.
All of the bad feelings have disappeared
Here is the rainbow I've been prayin' for
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.
Look all around,
there's nothin' but blue skies
Look straight ahead, nothin' but blue skies
I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.[4]
Look straight ahead, nothin' but blue skies
I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.[4]
How many dark clouds of pride, anger, resentment, and other impurities blind us to the faithfulness of God’s promises? How many dust devils of distraction keep us looking off the path and away from the Lord?
When we are pure, undivided, and locked on target in following Jesus, we are open to seeing God at work all around us and in many places that we would not expect. Just like Jesus spoke through the parables to those who have “an ear to hear” so God shows himself to those who have a “healthy eye” full of light (Matthew 6:22). And that is its own reward, for, “To see God is to enter into the great joy of God's love, the dialogue of love within the holy Trinity.”[5]
Though today “we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” (1 Cor. 13:12)
One day we will sing, “I can see clearly now” and it will be the truth.
[1] Jim Forest, The Ladder of the Beatitudes, Orbis Books. Kindle Edition, 9.
[2] C.H. Spurgeon, The King Has Come, Fleming H. Revell Company, 1987, 49.
[3] R.T. France, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries - Matthew, Eerdmans, 1985, 110.
[4] Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, I Can See Clearly Now, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc. 1972.
[5] Jim Forest, The Ladder of the Beatitudes, Orbis Books. Kindle Edition, 106.
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