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

There have been times when I gave more than I could afford.
There have been times when I stayed longer to help.
There have been times when I put myself at risk for the sake of another.
And on those rare occasions I am always and mistakenly tempted to think that it has somehow granted me a little more favor from God.

Matthew 5:8, along with the other Beatitudes, contains within it our present state (‘are’ blessed), as well as our future state (‘shall’ see).

The Greek word translated ‘heart’ is ‘kardia’, from which we get the word cardiac.

According to one Greek lexicon the human heart is:

the inner life
the center of the personality
the place where God reveals Himself to humans

Presently, those who have a pure ‘kardia’ are blessed. Perhaps this is because they have been blessed with a pure ‘kardia’.
Otherwise, God tells us in Jeremiah 17:9:
“the heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick.”
Leading up to this text we are told:
“Cursed is the one who trusts in humankind . . . Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord” (Jer. 17:5-7).

A closer parallel to our Beatitude is 1 John 3:2-3:
“Beloved, now we are children of God . . .We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure”

When it comes to the heart there appears a theme of contrast:
A deceitful and sick heart vs. A pure heart
Trust in humankind (self/money) vs. Trust in God
Cursed vs. Blessed

When we make the move from trusting in ourselves to trusting in Jesus,
Jesus makes the change in our heart, from one that’s contaminated to one that’s pure.

My giving more, helping more, sacrificing more, did not create within me a pure heart any more than it secured for me favor, or a future, with God.

Presently, a pure heart is the state of those whose trust is Jesus.
Imminently, the future for these pure hearted ones is this:

“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True . . .Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it . . . And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new’ . . I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. . . His servants will worship Him, they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.
- Rev 19:11, 20:11, 21:5,22, 22:4.

“Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God”

Such is the hope of all those whose hearts have been made pure by Jesus.


My 1.5 cents,

Jamie Hussain