Study Guide: Happy Are Those Who See

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8)

OPEN:

The first thing we learn from this beatitude is that Jesus is concerned with what’s on the inside of every person. It is not enough to clean up our act on the outside. This was his running battle with the religious leaders of his day:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and rapacity.  You blind Pharisee!  First cleanse the inside of the cup and of the plate, that the outside also may be clean.”               Matthew 23:25-26

"Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7.

Elsewhere Jesus says that what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart... “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication,
So the heart is utterly crucial to Jesus. What we are in the deep, private recesses of our lives is what he cares about most. Jesus did not come into the world simply because we have some bad habits that need to be broken. He came into the world because we have such dirty hearts that need to be purified.

Pure hearts are laser focused on God, allowing them to see what he is doing in and around them.

 I.  THE PURE IN HEART ARE SINGLE-MINDED BELIEVERS.

1.  The meaning of purity.

Although we know that Jesus was concerned about inward purity that results in outward purity, the meaning here seems to be somewhat different.

The word Jesus uses here is katharos, a form of a word from which we get catharsis.  The basic meaning is to make pure by removing dirt, filth, and contamination.  The Greek term was often used of metals that had been refined until all impurities were removed, leaving only the pure metal. 

2. The meaning of “heart.”

When we hear the word “heart”, we instantly think of romantic & sensitive emotion (“broke his heart,” “heart-felt,” etc.).  The word “heart” translates the Greek kardia, from which we get cardiac and similar terms.

·        Throughout Scripture, heart is used metaphorically to represent the inner person, the seat of motives and attitudes.  It also includes the thinking process and the will.

Proverbs 23:7, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”  Jesus asked a group of scribes, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?” Matthew 9:4.

·        So, let’s put these ideas together in order to understand what Jesus had in mind when he said, “Blessed are the pure in heart…”

·        Jesus was communicating that the desired way of thinking and willing for the believer is to be single-minded, unobstructed, laser focused on God and what he wants.  It is to choose to recognize him as Lord and ourselves as his servants.  It is wanting what he wants more than anything else.

II. SEEING GOD IS THE GREAT GOAL OF BEING SINGLE-MINDED.

What is it to see God? And… How is being single-minded connected to seeing God?

The traditional interpretation of this is to say that the pure in heart will be those who spend eternity with God.  But there are significant problems with that interpretation.

The Greek is in the future indicative tense and the middle voice, and a more literal translation is, “They shall be continuously seeing God for themselves.”

So, what is it to see God?

I would mention two things:

1)   First, to see God means to be admitted to his presence. After the plague of darkness on Egypt Pharaoh exploded to Moses with these words:

"Get away from me; take heed to yourself; never see my face again; for in the day you see my face you shall die." Moses said, "As you say! I will not see your face again." Exodus 10:28-29

·        So the first thing seeing God means is being admitted to his presence.  Those of us who belong to Christ have been admitted to his presence and we remain in his presence for all eternity.

2)   Second, seeing God means to recognize what God is doing.

·        When you put these ideas together, we see that Jesus is saying that those who make God their priority will be those who see & recognize what God is doing in their lives and in the world around them.

     ·        And the ability to see God at work is an invitation to join him in that work.

John 5:19ff, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.  For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.”

CLOSE:

 

Pure hearts are laser focused on God, allowing them to see what he is doing in and around them.

• What is most important to you?
• What areas of your life remain un-surrendered to Christ?