“Blessed are the pure in heart,” said Jesus, “for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8)
What is purity of heart?
“Purity of heart is to will one thing,” said the Danish theologian Soren Kierkegaard, in a classic book by that title.
Our problem is that very often we will more than one thing at the same time.
When we give, we want to do some good, but we also want some recognition for it.
When we worship, we want to praise God, but we also want to feel some immediate benefits.
When we serve, we want to make a positive impact, but we also want acclaim from others.
We are, in the words of James, doubleminded – directing our hearts towards God’s purposes but also towards our own self-interest. (Purify your hearts, you doubleminded. James 4:8)
We are called instead to will one thing – to will the Good, to desire the purpose of God.
We can never bring ourselves to such purity of heart on our own; but God promises to work within us. As God says through the prophet Ezekiel: “A new heart I will give them, and a new spirit I will put within them.” (Ezekiel 36:26) It is a promise that is fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Christ cleanses our hearts with forgiveness, and through the Holy Spirit He will empower us to direct our hearts rightly. And as the grace of Christ works within us, guiding us toward purity of heart, we will see God.
Christ cleanses our hearts with forgiveness Share on XThis means not only that we will one day see God in the glory of heaven. It means that the more our hearts our pure, the more we will see God present and at work in the world around us.
This is why people like Mother Teresa could see God everywhere. (“I see God in every human being,” she said.)
May we direct our heart truly to God, so that our eyes may be opened to the workings of God today, and how God may be at work through us.
Sunday’s Scripture Readings:
Psalm 24:3–5
Psalm 51:10–12
Ezekiel 36:26–28
James 4:8
Matthew 5:8
