Pure in Heart

I am currently working on Casandra Martin's study, "Fragrance of Faith: Discovering the Aroma of Christ in the Beatitudes" (it's part of her Women Opening the Word series). This week it's on the pure in heart.

I've always loved this particular passage:

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (Matt. 5:8).

Is that not the very desire of our hearts, what we yearn for in our quieter moments? What we've been yearning for all our lives, even before we realized it?

She makes three points concerning this, and I want to share them with you here. They deal with what it means to "see God."

The first is, that those who "see God," are able to see the heart of a pure God at work in His world. In other words, they have an increasing awareness of His presence. Our everyday moments don't look quite so ordinary when we see that God is in each one. Each is unfused with His purpose and His glory. As a result, He wants us to be filled with praise AND to point out His movement to a world that doesn't yet have the eyes to see His hand.

Are we doing that?

Her second point is that those who are pure in heart have an increasing assurance that they are God's and He is theirs. She says that when Jesus used the phrase "see God," the Jews of His time understood that to mean that they would "possess God." Not in a way that implies control, but one that reveals a personal connection, intimacy.

Her third point is that the pure in heart have an increasing anticipation of seeing Him face to face.

Someday all that we know of this life will pass away. Even now, our ties to this world are unraveling, as our hearts yearn. One day, we will look our Savior in the eyes, and we will see Him smile.

God's Spokesperson

The other day Chad and I were with a group of people, when the discussion turned to the mentally ill. There were a few remarks that made me uncomfortable. They weren't horrible, but given the situation and setting, I think they were inappropriate (but I can't imagine there would have been an "appropriate" time anyway, especially among those of us who claim Christ as Lord).

Like I said, Chad was with me. Having worked with the severely handicapped and mentally ill, I know that it is often a matter of degree, and I'm so thankful that Chad's autism is not as severe as it could be. But it's not just a matter of degree with Chad. It is for each of us as well. As we look at those less fortunate, we truly have to say, "There but for the grace of God go I."

I wanted to say something in this group. But I didn't. I don't know the people well yet. I didn't trust my own voice to not cry when I talked because this is a topic that touches close to home. I also didn't want Chad to hear more of it. He doesn't understand all things, but he understands more than people know. He might not have made a connection to his own life from this short discussion. I didn't want him to. I certainly didn't want him to see me cry.

I talked to Karen, my sister about it later. She quietly listened, and then responded, "That's when you just have to say to the group:

'Isn't that what's so amazing about grace?'"

I wish I had thought of that.

But I'm glad she did. It gave this mother's heart peace.