Key Verse: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8 CSB)
“Cleanliness is next to godliness,” or so the ancient proverb goes. While he may not have originally coined the expression, it is most popularly attributed to John Wesley from a sermon that he preached back in 1778.
But is it true? In the first century, the Jewish religious leaders, and primarily the Pharisees, certainly seemed to think so. They were so concerned with being “clean” before God that they created a whole additional system of rules beyond what they had received from Moses in order to be considered godly. Even worse, they held others to these same man-made religious standards.
When Jesus arrived on the scene, this is one of the primary reasons why the Pharisees were constantly at odds with Him. Jesus and His disciples appeared to continually ignore these traditions that had been created.
On one occasion, for example, the Pharisees and scribes approached Jesus very concerned about the behavior of His disciples. “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders?” they asked, “For they don’t wash their hands when they eat” (Matthew 15:2). Jesus responded with a quote from Isaiah, rebuking them for their hypocrisy. According to Jesus, “eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person” (verse 20) or make them unclean. They were missing the point altogether with their religious tradition.
So what does it mean then to be clean in God’s eyes? What is it that God is most concerned about? This is the question that David raised when he asked, “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?” The answer: “The one who has clean hands and a pure heart” (Psalm 24:3-4).
This is exactly what Jesus was driving at when He said, “Blessed are the pure in heart” (Matthew 5:8). While our external behavior and practices do matter to God, it is not primarily where God’s eyes are looking. He is most concerned about the state of our heart. If our heart is healthy, everything else will fall into place.
To be “pure in heart” means to be undivided in your love and loyalty toward God in every area of your life. It’s an active pursuit to be free from any form of hypocrisy. It means to approach God not based on external performance, but rather with a heart that is humble and broken before Him. This is the person who, according to Jesus, will “see God”.
So how do we get a pure heart? David prayed to the Lord, “God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). The cleansing work within our hearts belongs to God through the Holy Spirit. Very simply, we need to humble ourselves before God and surrender to His work within us.
Today, let us guard ourselves against falling into the same trap of the Pharisees. The person who knows God is not the one who checks all the external boxes. Rather it’s the one whose heart is pure and undivided before Him.
Prayer: God, create in me a pure heart. Cleanse me from all forms of hypocrisy that still exist in my heart and in my life. Through your Spirit, lead me to a place where my heart is undivided in my devotion to you. Amen.
Author: Jonathan Miller has served in pastoral roles for more than 13 years in churches in Barrie, Oakville and Burlington, Ontario. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Prison Fellowship Canada, a ministry that mobilizes and equips local churches to engage in the restorative work of prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, and victims across Canada. Jon holds degrees from McMaster University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife Adrienne have been married since 2004, and live in Burlington, Ontario with their 4 children. Jon’s greatest passion is to know Jesus and to see lives transformed by Him and for Him.
