Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” For those folks on the hillside, Jesus’ next statement sounds like a virtual impossibility. What does this guy mean by “pure in heart?” In Jesus’ culture, observant religious people are careful to watch what they say and how they say it. There are all kinds of religious regulations. Jesus really doesn’t care about religious bean counting; he’s much more concerned about the state of the heart.
Most of the audience has grown up watching the religious elite observing every jot and tittle of the Mosaic Law. For the poor, being a legally observant Jew is well beyond their reach. And yet, Jesus is smiling as he makes this statement, encouraging them to believe that perhaps he has more in mind than how many times a week they fast or how rigorously they parcel out their offerings.
Centuries ago, God has spoken to His people through Moses. Deuteronomy 6:1-5 says, “These are the commandments and statutes and ordinances that the LORD your God has instructed me to teach you to follow in the land that you are about to enter and possess, so that you and your children and grandchildren may fear the LORD your God all the days of your lives by keeping all His statutes and commandments that I give you, and so that your days may be prolonged. Hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe them, so that you may prosper and multiply greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
All the Jews in Jesus’ audience know these verses as well as Jesus does, for the last two sentences are the Shema, the affirmation repeated on a daily basis. To be pure in heart is to love God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. God knows human hearts, and He knows when someone is dedicated. Those who are truly pure in heart will observe God’s commandments out of love and respect for Him, and they will also teach their family members to do the same. Throughout Jesus’ audience, there are those who truly love God and keep His commandments. Those people are quietly rejoicing at this encouragement.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” Make no mistake about it, God is not a God of confusion but a God of peace. The more we study biology, chemistry, physics, or any of the other scientific disciplines, the more we marvel at how beautifully and perfectly God has created everything. Those people on the hillside only have to look at the wildflowers, the olive trees, and the people around them to realize how perfectly God has created things.
Throughout the Scriptures, God emphasizes that He is the Peace-maker and the Peace-giver. Isaiah 26:3 tells us, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” In Jesus’ culture, sons are expected to copy their fathers, including their professions and their behavior. Villagers can easily recognize a man’s son by his appearance and his behavior. Now Jesus is stating that since God is a God of peace, those who truly make peace will be called sons of God.
What does it mean to be a peacemaker? Here in Ghana, we have friends who are called on anytime there is a dispute over land, fishing rights, etc. These people come to a community and interview all involved, then seek to achieve the fairest conclusion possible. But sometimes a peacemaker may be a party to the dispute; in which case, it’s a blessing if such people can help solve problems before they escalate.
We can create problems or solve them by our speech or our actions. When we are careful what we say or do, we may be preventing conflict and making peace proactively. Whenever we do any of these things, we are peacemakers and qualify as sons of God.
Peacemakers sometimes have a very difficult time. Police officers are fully aware that calls to domestic disturbances are among the most dangerous situations they may have to address. Sometimes police are called, only to find that previously fighting spouses may both turn to attack police, sometimes with fatal consequences. At times, international peace makers have found themselves attacked, imprisoned, or even evicted from the very country that originally invited them. Being a son of God may be a blessing, but it can be a very dangerous proposition!
May God help us so that we will love God with all our hearts, all our souls, and all our strength. May God help us to be peacemakers wherever we go.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to truly love You and help us to be peacemakers. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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