Matthew 5:8  "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."   The heart - the middle- the center of who we are... thoughts and feelings are processed by our hearts.  It is the core of our being.  Jesus taught that the condition of the heart determines what proceeds from our mouths. "But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders." ( Matthew 15:18-19)  It is what we "treasure" in our hearts that determines our future in heaven. (6:21)  It is with the heart that we receive the Word or refuse it. (Matt. 13:19) 

We can have a dull or hard, unbelieving heart. Or we can have a willing heart.. to love the Lord our God with all our hearts.  We can be like Jesus who said" I am gentle and humble in heart." (11:29) Or we can remain foolish with darkened hearts. 

Here, Jesus tells us, it is the "pure of heart"  who will "see God".  The psalmist wrote "Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood, and has not sworn deceitfully." ( Psalm 24:3-4)  

A pure heart is one that has been cleansed. It is undefiled and uncontaminated. It is set apart, holy unto the Lord.  I know many people who dread reading the book of Leviticus.. full of laws and rules.. what is clean and unclean.. things that don't seem relevant to us who have a new covenant and have been freed from the old.  But, it is such an important book!  Over and over the Lord spoke to Israel about Who He is.. "I am the Lord Your God.. I the Lord am holy."  Because He is holy, He desires that His people be holy.  More than desires it.. He commands it! "You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the Lord your God." (Lev. 20:7)  His covenant was Israel required that they be holy, uncontaminated, pure.. separate, consecrated to Him alone.  This is what would make them His people. "Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine." ( (20:26)

And this is what Jesus says about those who are in His Kingdom.. they are "pure of heart".  They are uncontaminated, cleansed, set apart.. pure.. and the promise is that "they shall see God."  The Bible Study commentary says it this way.. "The more pure a person is, the more clear his sight of God becomes." 

All of the truths of these beatitudes...are bringing us into this place of God's holy presence..

We recognize our poverty and helplessness to be His.. we are beggars, to whom He gives the Kingdom.

We mourn our sinfulness and the world of sin that surrounds us.. and we receive comfort and joy. 

We become humble and gentle.. surrendered to His will.. and we inherit the earth. 

We hunger for Him, His righteousness that we cannot achieve except by faith in Jesus and He satisfies us with abundance. 

We receive the generous, powerful kindness of His forgiveness and we exhibit mercy to others in kind, finding ourselves able to forgive as we have been forgiven. 

We seek and find cleansing of our hearts through the power of His Spirit.. and He opens our eyes to see Himself more clearly!

Father in heaven, You are God and You are holy. We choose to yield to Your perfect and holy will, that by Your cleansing we become pure of heart.  It is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ that we are made pure.. there is no other way.  Wash me and I will be whiter than snow! This is Your gracious gift of compassion and mercy to all who will "consent and obey" ( Isaiah 1:16-19)  O thank You, Lord! Help us to truly be filled with the truth of Your Word.. the Word of Life. In the Name of Jesus we come... laying down all of our hearts to You. amen.