Daily Worship

Creating A Pure Heart

Fergus Buchanan June 17, 2025 2 1
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Matthew 5: 8 (NIVUK)

8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.

In the congregation where I grew up it was the custom that when someone was admitted to full membership they would be given a Scripture verse which was intended to be an encouragement for the days ahead. Mine was: ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.’ (Matthew 5: 8)

I’m not sure if I understood what that meant at the time. I was sixteen. But it has given me some thought through the years. What does it mean to be ‘pure in heart’? J.B Phillips translates this as being ‘utterly sincere’. That helps our understanding. The Scriptures are consistent in warning against the ‘divided heart’. We see this in the Psalms. In Psalm 41 David seems to be laid low with some kind of illness. People have come to visit him ostensibly to offer comfort but when they leave him they say things about him that are less than charitable. In Psalm 55 David speaks of a ‘companion’ whose ‘talk is as smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart.’ (Verse 21)

These are examples of people who are strangers to integrity, who could never be said to be reliable, trustworthy or honest. What they say or do are not expressions of what is in their hearts. In effect they are play-acting, wearing a mask, which essentially is what is meant by hypocrisy. They are putting on a show which is a universe away from their actual state of being. That was Jesus’ accusation levelled against many of the teachers of the law in his time: ‘You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.’ (Matthew 11: 39). Compare this to Jesus who was pure in heart and in deed and calls on all his followers to aspire to that depth of integrity. 

 

Prayer:

 

Lord Jesus,

We join with the Psalmist in praying that by Your Spirit You would create in us a clean heart.

We can never imagine You promising one thing and doing another, speaking words of peace with war in Your heart, calling others to lifestyles that have no place in Your aspirations.

Help us to lead more integrated lives, where thought, word and action are together, where our words and actions are a result of hearts constantly seeking renewal. Amen.