“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” ESV

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” NIV

Nobody strived for purity more than the Pharisees. Convinced they were following the entire Law of Moses, they decided to enforce their own personal laws on top of it, and thought they looked pretty good doing so. 

They were chasing purity and honor through endless rules, prioritizing the law over people, and praying loudly in public to be seen by others. Using all of their time and energy to study the Torah, instead of truly seeking God Himself. Inevitably, Jesus didn’t hold back when He called them hypocrites who were cleaning the outside of their cup (their actions) while the inside (their motivation) stayed full of greed and self-indulgence.(Matthew 23:26) At one point, He even calls them blind guides. 

They were unable to see God because they were blinded by their pride. 

Just before we go too far in thinking the Pharisees are the ultimate bad guys, we have to consider our own habits and motivations, too. Maybe you’re striving to do all that you can to follow God’s laws: guarding your eyes, praying boldly, and even attending every Bible study you can find. But deep down, we know that without our hearts being aligned with His, even the best actions are utterly empty. 

I’ve experienced this in my own life: seasons when I realize I’ve been wearing myself out trying to earn grace rather than doing the “messy” work of living in true dependence to God.

God knows us completely, and He said blessed are those who are pure in heart. This true purity doesn’t come from our own works (which will always fall short), but through the completed work of Jesus, who was and is purity itself. Even so, He was the One willing to wash dirty feet and eat with dirty hands to demonstrate the purest kind of Love. 

He shows us that the pure in heart actually draw near to the mess of humanity and get their hands dirty by serving the least of these. 

The Pharisees proudly held up an impossible image, all while refusing to help the “unclean.” But Jesus humbly offered His identity (as God’s child) to the very ones who refused it. His purity in exchange for our impurity. 

Striving doesn’t make us pure; surrender does. When we surrender to Jesus, we can see Him more clearly than ever before. And when we truly see Him, we understand even the messiest of work comes from a heart that’s pure.

Written by LeeAnn Randall
I encourage you to read Matthew 15:1-20 this week:)