Blessed are the

Pure in Heart
Jess Stanfield
Zion Presbyterian Church
Macon, Ga
It is possible that the Gospel of Matthew was
written soon after Jesus' ascension. He wrote
it to his Jewish brethren to convince them that
Jesus was the promised King and Messiah and
also to point out that He was the one who would
heal and restore the kingdom of God. This was
the "good news" according to Ivlatthew which
what he announced to his fellow countrymen.
Throughout this gospel, Matthew records 5
stimulating discourses on the kingdom of
heaven. These heavenly discourses vary in
length (but not in emphasis) - each one makes
a special point on the nature and essence of
the heavenly kingdom. Even the discourses
that barely mal{c a chapter are worthy of our
meditation and theological consideration. These
discourses are rich in content and truth and
will help every generation understand better
the kingdom of heaven established by God on
earth through His beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
The first discourse is found in chapters 5-7 - the
familiar Sermon on the Mount. In this discourse,
Jesus teaches us about the "righteousness of the
kingdom." Jesus announces true religion is one of
the heart, and all obedience must be born from
an undefined, pure heart. He accepts nothing
less. Matthew's second discourse is found in
chapter 10. In this discourse, Jesus teaches us
about the "power and authority of the kingdom
of heaven" through the preaching and teaching
of the kingdom. The third discourse is found in
chapter 13, where Jesus teaches us the kingdom
The Counsel QI' Chalceclon
of heaven is an ever-increasing
and expanding kingdom until it
fills the whole earth. This third
discourse describes the "nature
of the kingdom of heaven." The
fourth discourse is found in
chapter 18 and is shorter than all
the others. Its primary focus is
the "humility and mercy of the
kingdom of heaven." The final
discourse is found in chapters
24-25, where Jesus predicts the
final trimnph of the kingdom
of heaven. Jesus announces
that He is coming in judgment
on Jerusalem because of their
apostasy and declares He is
also coming again at the end
of all history, and then He will
completely eliminate sin and
death at I-Iis final coming. He will
have fulfilled all that He came
to do and nothing is left to be
accomplished. The words of John
will be fulfilled, "Jesus came to
destroy the works of the deviL"
Matthew's Gospel is more of a
tract than a biography of Jesus'
life. In it you find all that is needed
to demonstrate that Jesus is the
Christ, God's promised Messiah
and King, and all who refuse to
submit to His rule and kiss I-Iis
cheek will be ground to dust.
A Word Concerning
the Beatitudes
This portion of the Sermon
on the Mount is called the
"Beatitudes" though the word
itself is not found in the Greek
text; these pronouncements
are frequently called beatitudes
because in this passage Jesus
begins each statement with
a blessing. The English word
"beatitude" is derived from the
Latin 'beatus' meaning blessed.
The Greek word translated
'blessed' is makarios, which some
translations render "happy." This
translation is unfortunate because
l\!Iaking the Nations Christ's Disciples
it misses the richness of the
actual intended connotation; not
to mention it fosters a common
theological misunderstanding,
for it drives a wedge between
the Old and New Testaments
and it replaces a concrete and
covenantal word like "blessed"
with the more narrow word
"happy." This mistake comes not
because happiness isn't implied
in being blessed, but rather
happiness alone fans tremendously
short of the full idea conveyed
in our Lord's use of the word
"blessed". One significant reason
this interpretation lends itself
to theological error is it disrupts
the unity and continuity of
sclipture. Settling for the word
"happy" tends to ignore the
covenantal relationship of the
Covenant of Grace applied under
two administrations. A faithful
expositor has said, "For happiness
is a subjective state, whereas Jesus
is making an objective judgment
about these people. He is declaring
not what they feel like, but what
God thinks of them and on that
account they are "blessedL"l
Jesus uses the term "blessed,"
covenantally, and this is exactly
how we are to understand it, in
light of the Old Covenant blessings
and cursings initiated particularly
Deuteronomy 28. Moses clearly
affirmed to those members of the
Church going into the Promised
Land that "they who diligently
keep His commandments" are
blessed and they who fell short
of keeping His commandments
diligently, God was not pleased
with and were cursed. Like Moses,
Jesus emphasizes the covenantal
characteristic of God's kingdom.
In Luke's acoount of this same
sermon he gives the "woes"
Jesus used warning those who
had forgotten or ignored they
were in a relationship God had
established with their fathers and
~ ~ ~
God expected them to maintain
their covenant obligations. These
woes pronounced by the Lord
are nothing less than the curses
of the Covenant of grace given
by Moses 1500 years earlier.
Jesus pronounced woes (curses)
upon the Scribes and Pharisees,
"you blind Pharisee, first clean
the inside of the cup and of the
dish, so that the outside of it may
become clean also. Woe to you,
scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
For you are like whitewashed
tombs which on the outside
appear beautiful, but inside they
are full of dead men's bones and
all uncleanness. So you, too,
outwardly appear righteous to
men, but inwardly you are full of
hypocrisy and lawlessness." The
bedrock of Judaism was deep
hypocrisy and self-righteousness;
this was the cause for Jesus'
woeful pronouncements. By doing
so He was confirming that the
law of God never ceased being
their standard of obedience even
if the Scribes and Pharisees
snubbed it by replacing it
with their own standards.
Those serving faithfully and
obediently are blessed in their
estates, families, relationships,
bodies, and minds. This
blessedness encompasses a
great deal more then happiness:
it includes man's entire being
and every facet of life.
Blessing and the
New Covenant
Understanding these
beatitudes, or blessings in light
of the New Covenant being a
better covenant, seems to be a
forgotten hermeneutic among
contemporary theologians. That
is can the blessings of the Old
Covenant be exceedingly greater
and more comprehensive than the
blessings of the New Covenant?
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18
Blessed are the Pnre in Heart
No; not at all! There is only one
Covenant of Grace under two
administrations; it's not absurd
to think the blessings under both
are essentially the same as well.
However, Jesus being the Prophet,
Priest and King of His people have
secured for them in abundance
these promised blessings. He has
secured these blessings by His
own obedience for those who
trust and rest in Him by faith.
"Now He who establishes us
with you in Christ and anointed
us is God, who also sealed us and
gave us the Spirit in our hearts as
a pledge." 2 Corinthians 1:21-22
How can we separate the
meaning of Jesus' words from
the Old Covenant? Instead, we
should recognize them in light
of it, remembering Matthew
was writing to persuade his
countrymen who were familiar
with the Old Testament scripture.
How appealing would it be for
the Jews to embrace Jesus as the
promised Messiah and King if He
only offered the petty blesSing
of external and momentary
happiness, compared to the
complex and comprehensive
blessings of Moses that they surely
understoodr Furthermore, how
can the Church expect to be salt
and light provoking the Jewish
people to embrace Christ as the
Messiah and Deliverer if Moses'
blessings are better then Jesus'?
Matthew is clearly pointing out
that Jesus is pronouncing the
same covenant blesSings as Moses
did but with greater urgency, for
"the axe is already at the root
of the tree", and hope. "Come
to Me. all who are weary and
heavy-laden, and 1 will give you
rest. Take My yoke upon you and
learn from Me. for I am gentle
and humble in heart, and YOU
WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR
SOULS. For My yoke is easy and
My burden is light." Matthew
11:28-30. Jesus has secured these
tremendous blesSings for all who
will rest in I-lim; all who will call
upon Him and trust in Him and
His work, He graCiously imputes
to them His righteousness, sealing
them with His Spirit making
them willing and able subjects in
His kingdom, where they desire
to please Him, by "eating or
drinking or whatever they do",
it is done to the glory of God.
"For 1 will take you from the
nations, gather you from all the
lands and bring you into your
own land. "Then I will sprinkle
clean water on you, and you
will be clean; 1 will cleanse you
from all your filthiness and from
all your idols. "Moreover, I will
give you a new heart and put a
new spirit within you; and I will
remove the heart of stone from
your flesh and give you a heart of
flesh. "I will put My Spirit within
you and cause you to walk in My
statutes, and you will be careful
to observe My ordinances. "You
will live in the land that 1 gave to
your forefathers; so you will be My
people, and I will be your God.
"Moreover, I will save you from all
your unclemmess; and I will call
for the grain and multiply it, and
I will not bring a famine on you.
so "1 will multiply the fruit of the
tree and the produce of the field,
so that you will not receive again
the disgrace of famine among
the nations." Ezekiel 36:24-30
Jesus' Audience
Having a better understanding
of the covenant and its blessings
and curses, we can have insight
regarding the condition of the
Jewish people when Jesus began
His ministry. The people in Jesus'
day were sorely oppressed and
afflicted; due to their ignorance
they were weighed down with
hypocrisy and various other lusts.
Their priesthood was corrupt,
their political officials were
deviant, plus they were in bondage
to the pagan Roman Empire.
"Since the conquest of Jerusalem
by Pompey, B.C. 63 ... the Jews
had been subject to the heathen
Romans, who heartlessly governed
them by the Idumean Herod
and his sons, and afterwards by
procurators. Under this hated
yoke their Messianic hopes were
powerfully raised, but carnally
distorted. They longed chiefly for
a political deliverer, who should
restore the temporal dominion
of David on a still more splendid
scale; and they were offended with
the servant form of Jesus, and
with his spiritual kingdom. Their
morals were outwardly far better
than those of the heathen; but
under the garb of strict obedience
(self righteousness) to their law,
they concealed great corruption.
They are pictured in the New
Testament as a stiff-necked,
ungrateful, and impenitent
race, the seed of the serpent, a
generation of vipers. Their own
priest and historian, Josephus,
who generally endeavored to
present his countrymen to the
Greeks and Romans in the most
favorable light, describes them
as at that time a debased and
wicked people, well deserving
their fearful punishment in the
destruction of Jerusalem". 2
Matthew is very particular to
point out that Jesus' ministry
along with His disciples was a
ministry of preaching and healing.
They went about preaching and
healing the Sick, blind, deaf, and
lame. In an attempt to see his
brethren brought into a right
relationship with God through
Christ, Matthew was hoping by
pointing out this information,
it would resonate with those
The Counsel ql Chalcedon
reading his gospel tract.
"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is
upon me, Because the LORD has
anointed me To bring good news
to the afflicted; IIe has sent me
to bind up the broken hearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And freedom to prisoners; To
proclaim the favorable year of the
LORD And the day of vengeance
of our God; To comfort all who
mourn, To grant those who
mourn in Zion, Giving them a
garland instead of ashes, The oil
of gladness instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a
spirit of fainting. So they will be
called oaks of righteousness, The
planting of the LORD, that He may
be glorified. Then they will rebuild
the ancient ruins, They will
raise up the former devastations;
And they will repair the ruined
cities, The desolations of many
generations." Isaiah 61:1-4
Jesus appeals to this passage
when answering John's disciples
about whether or not He was the
Messiah. He does this by saying
"Go and report to John what
you hear and see: s the BLIND
RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame
walk, the lepers are cleansed
and the deaf hear, the dead are
raised up, and the POOR HAVE
THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO
THEM". He points John's disciples
to His work.". By doing tht'> Jesus
did more than simply say yes;
He was saying compare what
I do with the word and it will
be clear to you "who I am."
Jesus' Words
"Blessed are the pure in
heart, for they shall see God"
These words are covenantal
pronouncemcnts - they are
declarations regarding the citizens
of the kingdom of heaven. They
jVIaking the Nations Christ's Disciples
are not moralisms, they do not
announce what you must do
but what you must be. Jesus'
words are stated in a way that
causes the hearer or reader
to reflect immediately upon
his own spiritual condition.
These words are a powerful
blow to all spirituality that is not
rooted in the life and sacrifice of
Jesus Christ. They strike at the
root of every sin because every sin
has its origin in the heart, "Watch
over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of
life," Proverbs 4:23. If the heart
is impure the man is impure and
only evil will come from it, just
as Jesus warned the crowd about
the false teachers, "You will know
them by their fruits. Grapes are
not gathered from thorn hushes
nor figs from thistles, are they?
So every good tree bears good
fruit, but the bad tree bears bad
fruit A good tree cannot produce
bad fruit, nor can a bad tree
produce good fruit. Every tree
that does not bear good fruit is
cut down and thrown into the fire.
So then, you will know them by
their fruits" Matthew 7:16-20.
What is a pure heart?
What exactly is a pure heart?
Is a pure heart a sin free heart?
If it is who would be worthy
of such an announcement? A
pure heart can be summed up
in one word, UNMIXED. A pure
heart isn't mixed with other
motivations, desires and cares.
"It is freedom from defilement
and divided affections; it is
sincerity, genuineness, and
singleness of heart. As a quality
of Christian character, we would
denne it as godly simplicity. It
is the opposite of subtlety and
duplicity. Genuine Christianity
lays aside not only malice, but
Blessed are the Pure in Heart
guile and hypocrisy also. It is not
enough to be pure in words and
in outward deportment. Purity
of desires, motives, and intents
is what should (and docs in the
main) characterize the cltild
of God. Here, then, is a most
important test for every professing
Christian to apply to himself. Arc
my affections set upon things
above? Arc my motives pure?
\Vhy do I assemble with the Lord's
people? Is it to be seen of men,
or is it to meet with the Lord
and to enjoy sweet communion
with Him and His people?"4
A pure heart has only one
master and love it is devoted
to God alone, it is not double-
minded; it keeps itself from the
things that God's law forbids and
calls abominable, on the watch
for distracting things that rob the
heart of its affection and zea1. It's
pure devotion without mixture to
God alone. Having a pure heart
promotes creaturely dedication to
God as God, the only Living God.
The pure in heart seek
to conform to God's law in
thoughts, word and deeds.
The Psalmist writes:
"How blessed arc those
who observe His testimonies,
who seck Him with all their
heart." Psalm 119:2
"I shaH give thanks to You
with uprightness of heart,
When I learn Your righteous
judgments." Psalm 119:7
"Your word I have treasured
in my heart, that I may not sin
against You.'1 Psahu 119:11
"Give me understanding, that I
may observe Your law And keep it
with all my heart." Psalm 119:34
"May my heart be blameless
Continued on Page 44
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Blessed are the Pure in Heart
Continued from page 19
in Your statutes, So that I will
not be ashamed." Psalm 119:80
Examining yourself in light
of His \\lord and with the
discernment of the Holy Spirit,
these are the kind of questions
you must ask yourself:
Is my love of God pure? Does
He have my whole heart? Does
He have my absolute allegiance?
Or is my heart divided? Our
hearts must be pure, singular,
uncorrupted. Do you love wealth
more than Jesus? Or sports?
Or power? Or pleasure? Only
the- pure will see God. Noone
else shall. Am I living- a clean,
pure, h?ly life? Or am I allowing
corruption'into my life OTIe small
-step,ata'time? Have'lbegun to
01'- pdde?
Or covetousness? Am
r iIi4l:t-lgingJies, even if they are
only lies? Am I
i-ndidging_-thek, even, iHts only
petty theft? Am I indulging
,"innoGent" flirtations, "harmless"
: . gossip;',-q[ "sof-t'" pornography?S
'thomas Watson lists 7
, crurr;acteristicsof a,pureheart.
1. A sincere heart is a
pure There are several-
characteristics of a sincere heart
a. a __ sincere heart desires to
serve the Lord with, all his heart,
even though he stumbles and
falls, there is never a question of
who- has the love of his heart;
b. a sincere heart is a tender
heart, and is very sensitive to a
conscience informed by the Word;
to the all searching eye of God.
A pure heart longs for purity- it
has God's law written on it like
a deer pants for water so the
soul of the pure hearted pant
after purity. There is a love for
all that is pure and never easily
allows events, relationships
or other pursuits to get in the
way of the means of grace.
A pure heart hates sin- a man
may forsake a sinful practice but
that doesn't mean he has a pure
heart. A pure hearts hates sin in
him and others everywhere sin
reigns his desire is to fight against.
A pure heart avoids the
appearance of it seeks to
avoid situations that may put
him in a. compromise as well
as people' who take sinning
lightly and thinh nothing of
breaking--their vows to God.
A pure heart docs good
it longs to serve God
and people. It wants- to
put into practice the word and,
see reform, it wants the banner
of Christ raised in every place,
when the heathen sees his goods
he will glorify the God of glory.
A pure heart prays- an
unbeliever may pray but he does
not pray like the pure in heart.
The pure in heart pray with tears
of sorrow and joy with passion that
burns for righteousness and with
a hatred for personal sins. Those
who are pure in heart pray to
God like He is their own God and
Father and they are confident
He is.
c. a sincere heart is a charitable Are you pure in hearf? Do you
heart, and seeks, to think the best want to be? Only those who have
of others until proven otherwise; a pure heart can see or will see
God. He rewards those who
d. a sincere heart is a searchable
heart, it is willing to submit itself
have undivided hearts with His
fellowship. They walk together,
eat together, talh: at night before
sleep and in the morning and
through out the day, "Who may
ascend into the hill of the LORD?
And who may stand in His holy
place? He who has clean hands
and a pure heart, who has not
lifted up his soul to falsehood And
has not sworn deceitfully. He shaH
receive a blessing from the LORD
and righteousness from the God
of his salvation," Psalm 24:3-S.
God desire have fellowship with
the pure in heart. A pure heart
is a cleansed heart, a heart that
has been washed by the sovereign
Spirit of God, "Then I will sprinkle
clean water on you, and you will
be clean; I will cleanse you from
all your filthiness and from all your
idols," Ezekiel 36:2S. Then you
will-live with a pure heart, as salt
in a perverse generation
and' God will be your God and
you will be His people, "They
will- no longer defile themselves
with their idols, or with their
detestable things, or with any
of their- transgressions; but I
will deliver them from all their
dwelling places in which they have
sinned, and will cleanse them.
And they will be My people, and I
will be their God," Ezekiel 37:23.
Let us end this section with a
comment from Thomas -Watson:
"Sec what beauty that sets off
the soul in God's eye, namely,
purity of heart. You are never
so beautiful are but spiritual
lepers until you are pure in
Heart .... God is in love with the
pure in heart for He sees his own
picture drawn there. Take away
purity from an angel and he is no
more an angel but a deviL You who
are pure in heart have the angers
glory shining in you. You have the
embrOidery and workmanship of
Holy Spirit upon you. The pure
heart is God's paradise where he
delights to walk It's His lesser
The Counsel of Chu.[ceclon
heaven. The dove delights in
the purest air. The Holy Ghost
who descended in the likeness
of a dove delights in the purest
soul.. .. Of all hearts God loves the
pure heart best. You who dress
yourselves by the glass of the
word and adorn 'the hidden man
of thy heart' I Peter 3:4, arc most
precious in God's eyes, though
you may be blear- eyed as Leah,
lame as Mephibosheth, yet being
'pure in heart' you arc a mirror of
beauty and may say "yet shall I be
glorious in the eye's of the Lord'
Isaiah 49:5. How may this raise the
esteem of purity! This is a beauty
that never fades and which makes
God himself fall in love with us."6
The Privilege of the
Pure in Heart ....
They shall see God!
"Once more we would point
out that the promises attached
to these Beatitudes have both a
present and a future fulfillment.
The pure in heart possess spiritual
discernment, and with the eyes of
their understanding they obtain
clear views of the Divine character
and perceive the excellency of His
attributes. \Vhen the eye is single
the whole body is full of light.
Tn the truth, the faith of which
purifies the heart, they "see
God"; for what is that truth, hut
a manifestation of the glory of
God in the face of Jesus Christ (2
Corinthians 4:6). An illustrious
display of the combined radiance
of Divine holiness and Divine
benignity!. .. And he [who is
pure in heart] not only obtains
clear and satisfactory views of
the Divine character, but he
enjoys intimate and delightful
communion with God. He is
brought very near God: God's
mind becomes his mind; God's
will becomes his will; and his
fellowship is truly with the Father
lvIakin,g the NaNo'ns Christ's Disciples
and with His Son Jesus Christ."?7
Jesus promises to the pure in
heart, "they will see God." Right
away, we must understand tha t
Jesus is not necessarily promising
us an empirical sensation or
experience in which we physically
"look at" God. Even in English,
besides "to perceive by sight,"
the word "see" can mean, among
other things, "to come to know:
DISCOVER," "to pcrccive the
meaning or importance of:
UNDERSTAND," "to be aware
of: RECOGNIZE," "to imagine
as a possibility: SUPPOSE,"
"to regard as: JUDGE," and "to
grasp something mentally."8
There are numerous examples
in scripture that proves this
interpretation in John 3:3, Jesus
says, "I ten you the truth, no
one can sec the kingdom of
God unless he is born again."
Docs He mean that the kingdom
magically appears when one is
regenerated? Ohviously not!
Rather, His meaning corresponds
with something that He says
almost immediately afterward
in verse 5 of John 3, "I tell you
the truth, no one can enter the
kingdom of God unless he is born
of water and the Spirit." Based
on the context, it is much more
natural and appropriate to regard
the meaning of "see" in verse
3 as something like "discover,"
"understand," or "cOlne to IUlOW."
Another example comes from
John 12:40, which is a quotation
from Isaiah 6:10, "He has blinded
their eyes and deadened their
hearts, so they can neither see
with their eyes, nor understand
with their hearts, nor turn -
and I would heal them." In its
context, it is obvious that the
words "blinded their eyes" do not
refer to a physical blindness, hut
instead have the exact meaning
Blessed are the Pure in HeaTt
of "deadened their hearts." That
they cannot "sec with their eyes"
refers to the fact that they cannot
"understand with their hearts."
Again, "see" here docs not refer to
anything empirical, hut it refers
to something intellcctual.9
"Therefore I speak to them in
parables; because while seeing
they do not see, and while hearing
they do not hear, nor do they
understand, v "In their case
the prophecy of Isaiah is being
fulfilled, which says, 'you will
keep on hearing, but will not
1l,nderstand; you will keep on
seeing, but will not peTceive;
for the heaTt of this people has
become dull, with their ears they
scarcely heal', and they have
closed their eyes, otherwise they
wottld see with their eyes, heal'
with their ears, and understand
'[vith their heart and return,
and i would heal them.' "But
blessed are your eyes, because
they see; and your ears, because
they hear." Matthew 13:13-16
Jesus plainly teaches here that
seeing means "perceiving," being
able to grasp the truth so as to
respond to its message with faith.
Not to see God is synonymous
with not knowing God - these
blind people walk in darkness and
they do not know where they are
going, mentally, intellectually,
spiritually - "the Light shines
in the darkness and the darkness
did not comprehend it," John 1:5.
"Thus the promise of Jesus
is not "If you will become pure
enough in your heart, I will let you
take a look at God," but rather,
"Those of you who are pure in
heart -you Christians - arc blessed,
hecause God will reveal himself to
you and cause you to know him!"
Of course, Christians already
Imow God to a certain extent, and
thus they have already "seen" him
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