B.6 The true disciple of Jesus Christ is ‘pure in heart’ [Matthew 5:8]
Before we look at what ‘pure in heart’ means, it is important to understand what it does not mean: it cannot mean ‘sinless’ or ‘perfect’ because we have already seen that the true disciple of Christ ‘mourns’ because of his sin, and ‘hungers and thirsts after righteousness’. Some people think that it means ‘sincerity of heart’, but sincerity in itself is of no use, for one can be sincerely wrong, committed to a cause or a belief system that is totally in opposition to the teaching of the Bible.
But the Bible does call for sincerity, a sincerity of heart that includes integrity, lack of hypocrisy, single-mindedness, all directed to and focused on God. The true disciple does not serve God as a means by which he, the disciple, will benefit. Rather, he loves God because God is altogether lovely; he praises God because God is worthy of his praise; he serves God because he knows there is no other Master, no other Lord, to whom his service, his obedience and his devotion is due. This is the purity of heart of the disciple of Jesus Christ. He is the person who would acknowledge Jesus Christ as his Lord, worthy of all praise and obedience, even if Jesus had not died on the cross to obtain his forgiveness.
When Satan accused Job, his accusation was that Job lacked integrity – that he served and obeyed God only because he wanted God to keep blessing him with material prosperity [Job 1:6-11; 2:1-5]. Even Job’s wife recognized that Job’s integrity was in question, when she said: ‘Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!’ [2:9] But Job’s obedience to God was for God’s sake, not for his own benefit. He avoided sin for one reason, that if he sinned he ‘would have been unfaithful to God on high’ [31:28b] and treated his servants justly because ‘Did not he who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?’ [31:15]. Transcending even these statements of integrity is this: ‘Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him’ [13:15]. It is interesting to note that Job received the blessedness that Jesus pronounced on the pure in heart: he saw God [Job 38:1- 42:6].
We also see this purity of heart in Moses, who urgently desired both to know and to see God, and to whom God gave a revelation of himself [Exodus 33:12-34:7]
This is the purity of heart of the true disciple: that God is the centre of his life; God is the source and the goal of his life; God is the deciding motivating factor of his life. He does not practice his religion to be seen of men, or for personal reward; he practices his religion for God’s sake, because God alone is worthy.
Reflection: Discuss these verses in relation to the concept of ‘pure in heart’
Deuteronomy 4:29
But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Deuteronomy 6:5
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Psalm 37:4
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 42:1-2
1 As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
Psalm 86:11
Teach me your way, Lord,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.