3 Blessed are the pure in heart
Blessed are the merciful,
For they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they will see God. Matthew 5: 7 – 8 [NIV]
Christian believers are those who show mercy and those who are pure in heart.
There is a strong idea of reciprocity in Scripture, with people being treated by God in the same way that they have treated other people. We see this in parable of the unmerciful servant [Matthew 18:21 – 35] and in the Lord’s prayer:
Forgive us our debts
As we have forgiven our debtors. Matthew 6: 12 [NIV]
We were all sinners deserving punishment, but we have been forgiven because of the work of Christ. In the same way we should forgive those who sin against us.
By pure in heart, Jesus means that his disciples should love God with all their heart, with an undivided loyalty. The Lord should have first place in our hearts; he should have authority over every part of our lives not just over those parts where we allow him access. How single-minded am I in my love for him? How easy it is for me to compromise and for my love to grow cold.
Jesus has left us with work to do: evangelism and teaching, serious prayer, works of mercy and love; and the Spirit has given us the gifts to carry them out. What are we doing with our time? Shopping, channel surfing, dreaming of our next holiday - or devoting ourselves to cultivating the fruit of the Spirit and using his gifts? [Annabel Robinson.]
Heavenly Father give me a pure heart that I may see you and a humble heart that I may hear you. Amen.
David Long
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