Blessed are the Pure in Heart

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst
for righteousness, for they will be filled.
‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

‘Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.

‘Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for
    righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Setting the Scene:  Points to remember …

• Beatitudes => Blessing
• Blessings => “a deep joy in God’s presence”  
• Sermon on the Mount => Jesus sets context for ministry and talks about the kingdom of heaven => or reign of God
• Kingdom of heaven/reign of God => knowing God as sovereign ruler, living in the will of God, kingdom as already here but not yet fully realized …    Foundation of the blessings in 3rd verse, knowing who we are in relation to God … living in total dependence upon God

We’ve talked about the structure of the Blessings as a    4 + 4 equation.  As we move through the first 4 blessings we grow (vertically) closer to God.  Finally, as we are filled with God’s presence, our attention turns to our horizontal relationships, meaning how we relate to others.  As we draw closer to God and grow spiritually, we are called to reach out to others and grow in our love of others, which is manifested as we move through the second 4 blessings.    Last week this was easy to see as we talked about treating others with mercy and receiving mercy ourselves … in the beginning we experience our relationship with others as a mutual giving and receiving. 

This week our blessing is not so transparent.  It sounds as if we have gone back to our relationship with God as we find that the “pure in heart” are blessed by “seeing God!”   Suddenly I wonder … is that a good thing?  I mean, have you read the Old Testament??   Are we to wrestle with God until God faces us and should we demand God’s blessing as Jacob did?  In Genesis 32:30 we read, “So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, ‘For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved.’”   Jacob limped away from the encounter but he was truly blessed for his relationship with his brother Esau was restored, tenuous as it was.   And what about Moses?  Exodus 33:11a reads, “Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.”   BUT in Exodus 33:20 we read, “But, [God] said, ‘you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live.’”   So … did Moses “see” God?  Let us not get hung up on literal translations.  Moses had a vibrant relationship with God which prepared him to lead the Israelites into relationship with God as well.   “Seeing” God is a very good thing! 

As a matter of fact :) if we look at the way John talks about the relationship between Jesus and God we find that his Jesus so identified himself with God that he says, “whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”   See John 14:9b and read the entire chapter of 1 John 4 for context.  Yes!  “Seeing” God is a very good thing!   

Interestingly, the word translated “see” has a layered meaning:  optanomai {op-tan'-om-ahee} or optomai {op-tom-ahee} which means 1) to look at, behold 2) to allow one's self to be seen, to appear.   Who is invited to “see” God?  The “pure” in “heart” see God.  There is another Greek word translated “pure” and it isn’t the one that is used here.  The Greek word translated in this passage as “pure” is katharos {kath-ar-os'} which although it does mean clean, purified by fire, like a vine cleansed by pruning and fit to bear fruit, ethically free from corrupt desire, sin and guilt, sincere, genuine, blameless, innocent, it should be understood in its OT levitical sense:   to be “clean” as opposed to be “unclean.” 

Kardia {kar-dee'-ah} is the Greek word translated heart as the seat or center of the physical life and spiritual life, 1) of the mind as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, and endeavors, intelligence, the will and character and 2) of the soul so far as it is affected and stirred in a bad way or good, as the seat of the sensibilities, affections, emotions, desires, appetites, passions.   In Jewish tradition, the center of one’s being is referred to as the heart.  

Making Connections:   Where have you “seen” God lately?   How have you responded to “seeing” God?

Going Deeper:  Danish theologian Soren Kierkegaard said, “purity of the heart is to will the one thing.”  This basically means our heart should be united with God’s heart in thought, will, and being.  Jesus said, “Not my will but yours be done.”  (Luke 22:42) 

Read Luke 10:30-37.  An expert in the law challenges Jesus after a discussion on loving God and loving neighbors as the mosaic key to eternal life.  He asks “Who is my neighbor?” to which Jesus replies with the story of the Good Samaritan.   Perhaps this would have been a good story for mercy … but this story goes far beyond mercy.  Remember the nuance of the Greek translation of purity in its levitical sense.  This story reveals the purity of the “unclean” Good Samaritan’s heart.  At the same time this story reveals the “impurity” of the religious people’s hearts ... and maybe ours!   

• How does your inner life and attitude affect the way you encounter other people?
• How far are you willing to change in order to embrace God in other people?
• Who is the person, or what is the issue that you will cross the street (choose) to ignore?  
• Why?How far are you willing to change in order to embrace God in the “Samaritan” in your life?
• How does that reveal the “purity” of your heart?
• Take a deep breath and visualize your Samaritan?
• Can you “see” God in your enemy?  
• If not, are you willing to pray to receive God’s healing for your broken relationship?   
• How will you begin your prayers? 

Pondering:  I once heard a journalist talk about traveling to India to visit the Sisters of Charity while doing a story about Mother Teresa.  Although he had tried to secure an interview before going, it didn’t happen.  He went anyway.  Although he didn’t interview her, he did have a quick opportunity to meet her.  He asked her, “Can you teach me to be more compassionate?”  She said, “No, but I know someone who can.”  She led him to the bedside of a man dying of aids.  She said, “This man has no one to care for him.  If you stay and care for him, you will find the compassion within you” and then she left the journalist alone with the suffering man.  He experienced a great struggle because he had a job to do and he wanted to interview her.  He alternated between anger and disappointment.  He did not care to do the menial task of caring for a dying invalid.  However, it seemed that there was no one else to do it.  He told us, “I stayed and I washed the sores of that dying man.  It changed my life.   Today I see the face of Jesus in every person I meet!”  

This was the lifelong message of Mother Teresa who wrote this meditation (adapted) …
Jesus is the Hungry - to be fed. 
Jesus is the Thirsty - to be given a drink.
Jesus is the Naked - to be clothed.
Jesus is the Homeless - to be taken in.
Jesus is the Sick - to be healed.
Jesus is the Lonely - to be loved.
Jesus is the Unwanted - to be wanted.
Jesus is the Leper - to have his wounds cleansed.
Jesus is the Beggar - to be smiled at.
Jesus is the Drunkard - to be listened to.
Jesus is the Mental - to be protected.
Jesus is the Little One - to be embraced.
Jesus is the Blind - to be lead by the hand.
Jesus is the Dumb - to be spoken for.
Jesus is the Crippled - to be walked with.
Jesus is the Drug Addict - to be a friend to.
Jesus is the Prostitute - to be removed from
danger and befriended.
Jesus is the Prisoner - to be visited.
Jesus is the Old - to be served.

Take time to read Mother Teresa’s meditation several times slowly.  As you read, allow God to bring to your consciousness someone within whom God wanted you to “see” Jesus.  How did you respond?   What changes, if any, would you make?

Prayer:  Read Psalm 139:1-7 and 23-24 as a prayer …
O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
You see me when I travel and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.
You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand!
I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.  Amen.