…never meant so much to me as it does now. My pastor, Andrew Franseen, is going through the book of Matthew in a series when he spoke on the Beatitudes. He broke them apart in a way that I had never seen before. He mentioned that in his studies he started seeing this division between the first four and the last four. He pointed out that the first four appear to be in our relationship with God. The last four deal with our relationship to others. With this being so, the sixth one stood out of place for me. I had always understood that the “pure in heart” referred to your standing before God. Never had I thought that it was in relationship to those around you. So, all week I have been considering the implications and trying to apply them to my life. I found it to be a very difficult task. Specifically, I found it difficult in areas such as driving and in school. When I am driving down the road and get flicked off and cussed out by some random driver because I was in the lane that he wanted to be in when all the lanes are open, I realize that the temptation to cuss him out in my head (well, basically the same thing…neither cussing at him or using “christian cussing” are edifying) is exactly what Christ was talking about. Sure I never said anything or reacted back. I simply ignored him. Christ is not concerned with my outward actions though. Also, in school, my teacher makes an assignment. I complete it to the best of the instructions. She returns my grade with a 50 and proceeds to tell me what she was really looking for which was apparently not what I gave her. Instinctively, my blood pressure rises and I notice the temperature getting warmer. Yeah, that is what Christ was talking about. It reminded me of 1 Cor 13 when it speaks of how love does not assume the worst and is not resentful.

“What’s the difference?”, you may ask. For me, purity of heart clearly was not something I can humanly do before God. He knows my heart. The only way for me to be clean before Him is to be cleansed by the blood. To be pure in heart to others means that I keep my intentions before others clean. No, I cannot do this one perfectly either. However, God knows my heart – people don’t…usually. My loyalty is to others through Christ. Yes, the battle is within me. Yes, people may never know the “indignation” that I hold toward them, but I answer to Christ about it.

The result lies in the rest of the verse – “…for they will see God.” I have seen God more vividly this week than I have in a while mainly because I have seen my need for Him. I cannot do this on my own. To live pure in heart toward others is going to take a supernatural strength that I do not have. I have seen how pure God is. It has been amazing. I am shocked that I have lived with this arrogance…but then again, why should I be so shocked? This is who I have been my whole life. I need His strength. Through this I will be able to see Him more clearly because I see myself more clearly.

What has God been doing in yourlife to change your view of Him?

Josh Blaha