“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they
shall obtain mercy.” Mt 5:8
In the Sermon on
the Mount, Jesus challenges us to be pure of heart. To a great extent, having a pure heart is
wrecked by man’s immorality, causing us to live spiritually impotent lives
blocking our vision and understanding to the will of God. Such depravity provides many with no inkling
or understanding of ever seeing the love of Christ. But, Jesus encourages us
with the Beatitudes; which offers eternal blissfulness and can be understood in
at least three ways: (1) They are a code of moral/ethics for all believers. (2)
They contrast Kingdom values (eternal) with worldly values (temporal). (3) They
contrast the superficial "faith" of the Pharisees with the real faith
that Christ demands. The beatitudes illustrate
the blessing by God. They don't promise laughter, pleasure, or earthly
prosperity; being "blessed" by God means the experience of hope and
joy, independent of outward circumstances.
Blessing of a pure heart – are those, whose minds, motives, and
principles are pure in desire; who seek not only to have their external actions
correct, but who desire to be holy in heart, by desiring what is right. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks
on the heart (1 Sam 16:7).
HSAY…Todd
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