Jesus said in the Beatitudes that people with a pure heart would get to see God. But do we want to see God and what does seeing God really mean?

June 17, 2009

Makarios Living – Having a Pure Heart

“Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God,” Matthew 5:8. What is the big deal about seeing God? Do we even long to see God? And what does seeing God really mean?
Welcome to Haven Today. I’m Charles Morris sharing the great story that’s all about Jesus on a program called “Makarios Living – Having a Pure Heart”, makarios, a Greek word that is normally translated “blessed” into English but a word that means so much more. It has been translated “Happy” but that’s not nearly enough. It’s more like the Hebrew word “Shalom”, blessings on, peace, wholeness, contentedness, all wrapped up into one Greek word “makarios”. Yesterday on this program we had back Hollywood actor Bruce Marchiano who portrayed Jesus in “The Gospel of Matthew” from which we have the theatrical version called “Jesus the Christ” on a just released 2 DVD set. Bruce will be sharing from the Beatitudes with us in just a few minutes and if you would like to see the video trailer from “Jesus the Christ” you can do that at haventoday.org. Paul Baloche from his “God of Wonders” album opens this Haven Today.

Song:
Performed by: Paul Baloche

Haven Today and “Makarios Living – Having a Pure Heart”. “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8. What is the big deal about seeing God? Do we even long to see God? And what does seeing God really mean? Too often we think of seeing as a cheap thrill or passing fancy. Maybe you plan on seeing the new “Transformers 2” movie, “Revenge of the Fallen” when it comes out next week? Maybe you will see the new GI Joe movie when it comes out later this summer. Maybe you were planning what you can see on a vacation on the cheap in the next few weeks? Maybe there is a person, a friend or a family member who you want to see over the next few summer months. I don’t think that’s what Jesus meant. Frankly for most of us the idea of seeing God is probably not high on our list because I think that for many of us we equate the idea of seeing God with being dead. Everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to go there now. Jesus said in Matthew 8, “Blessed,” makarios, “are the pure in heart for they shall see God.” What’s the big deal about seeing God? I don’t think it’s just the idea of looking at God although it certainly does include that. It has with it the idea of being in the presence of God. When I call my wife Janet and tell her I want to see her for lunch I’m not suggesting that she just drive by and wave out the car window so I can catch a glimpse of her. I want to be with her. I want to be in her presence. So often I think our idea of God is too stiff, too formal, a very non personal idea of who God is. Maybe we think of him as a king or as the Judge of the Universe – and rightfully so – but he’s also our Father, Abba Father, a father who loves us, a father who cares for us. I have a good friend who has 2 adopted children and last summer he and his wife traveled to Russia to finally bring home their little boy who has now turned 4. Their daughter came a couple of years before that. There are times when Little Paul says, “I want to see you Daddy!” even though he is standing right in front of his father. Now his father knows exactly what he means. Little Paul wants his daddy to pick him up and hold him tight and look him in the eyes. He wants to bond with his dad. He wants to be in his father’s presence. He wants to be close. I think many of us don’t think of relating to God in that way. You might remember a time in your life when you were in love and the excitement of seeing this person who you couldn’t get off your mind. The thought of spending a meal with them or even just getting a glimpse of them for a few minutes. I’m thinking of when I fell in love with Janet. I would go out of my way and find any kind of excuse just to see her, just to be with her. If only that kind of yearning to see God was present in me. If only I had that desire to be in the presence of my Maker who loves me, who calls me his child, his son. I’m not just talking about a desire that I see him but a desire to be in his very presence. I want you to listen to Bruce Marchiano, the Hollywood actor share with us from “Jesus the Christ”, the Beatitudes. Listen to the words of Jesus. Listen especially to Jesus speaking to our hearts.

(Dramatic excerpt from “Jesus the Christ”, Matthew 5, the Beatitudes)

The word of the Lord “Makarios Living – Having a Pure Heart” here on Haven Today. Three things, first, what does it mean to have a pure heart? Second, how do we get a pure heart? Third, what does it mean to see God?
So first, what does it mean to have a pure heart? One thing is for certain and that is that Jesus is very concerned about your heart and I’m not talking about your good or bad cholesterol levels and whether you’re taking an Omega-3 pill every day. Jesus is concerned first and foremost not with how you dress, not with how you look, Jesus is first and foremost concerned with the purity of your heart and when he talks about the heart he’s talking about what makes you tick, what’s going on, on the inside. When we talk about the heart in our modern day culture most of the time we’re referring to emotion but the way the people in Christ’s time used the word heart it encompassed your mind your will and your emotion. That is his primary concern, your heart. And Jesus wants us to have pure hearts. If you look at it in real life living the Bible teaches that the heart is the source of most of our social problems. Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Our society is in the mess it’s in not because of lack of education but lack of spiritual transformation. Bernie Madoff who swindled people out of millions of dollars was well educated and his problem wasn’t education. His problem was his heart. Matthew 15:18,
“But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart and these make a man unclean.”
Matthew 15:19,
“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.”
You and I have a heart problem which is why Jesus is so concerned about our hearts. Jesus didn’t come simply to get people to look good on the outside. In fact, he had some harsh words for those who were only concerned with outward appearances. Listen to Jesus talk in Matthew 23:27,
Woe to you teachers of the law and Pharisees. You hypocrites! You are like white washed tombs which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.
I want to have a pure heart and maybe you join me in wanting to have a pure heart. I want this blessing of Jesus don’t you? But what does having a pure or clean heart mean? Read the scriptures and there are several answers. God wants us to have hearts that are clean like freshly washed clothes. God wants us to purge our hearts like an army from discontent and cowardness. God wants our hearts to not be watered down or diluted. I think all of these things are true. And there is also James 4:8 that can shed a bit more light on what I think Jesus means.
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, o sinners, and purify your hearts you double minded.

From this text it would seem that the opposite of having a pure heart is double mindedness, we might use the term two-faced. So having a pure heart would mean a single mindedness of heart, an undivided heart, a heart sold out to Christ. If only our hearts could have a singular focus.

Song:
Performed by: The Waiting

So first, what does it mean to have a pure heart? Second, how do we get a pure heart? The answer? We get a pure heart like we get most things in the Christian faith, by faith. Acts 15:8 and 9,
God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.
You see, Jesus came to reconcile us to God. He made things right between us and God by going to the cross to atone for our sin. By faith, that is, by trusting in his sacrifice, we are given eternal life and we are given pure hearts. Pure hearts come by trusting God and by trusting God more and more and more. What is the greatest commandment? “Love the Lord your God with all your heart.” When I tell my wife, “I love you with all my heart.” She knows exactly what I mean. What I’m saying to Janet is that no other woman has any claim on any part of my affections. They all belong to you. That’s exactly what God wants. He wants your whole heart. Don’t love the world 50% and God 50%. Don’t even love the world 1%. God wants you. He wants your all. How do we get a pure heart? Through Jesus who came to give us pure hearts. We couldn’t purify our hearts ourselves any more than clothes can wash themselves. We put faith in Christ over and over again, day after day and ask for his help, his help to fortify sin in our lives, his help to love as he loves, his help to love God the way we need to because if we can have undivided hearts we are promised that we shall see God.
What does it mean to have a pure heart? How do we get a pure heart? Finally, and third, what does it mean to see God? Let me share a little verse from 1 Corinthians 13:12
Now we see but a poor reflection, as in a mirror, then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I’m fully known.
Those of us who are Christ-followers see God’s presence and handiwork in a way others do not and cannot. We look at others and see the image of God, not as cosmic accidents. We look at Yosemite Valley or Pike’s Peak or Niagara Falls and we see God’s handiwork, not erosion. We go on hikes with our kids and see a creative God. We see God’s sovereign rule and providence in his dealing with creation not by coincidence. We see Jesus in the now and look forward to seeing him more clearly in the not yet. We know in part and we see in part but for the pure in heart we shall see God face to face.

Song:
Performed by:

“Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy presence? He who has clean hands and a pure heart.” The psalmist writing in Psalm 24 here on a Haven Today called “Makarios Living – Having a Pure Heart”. Thank you so very much for joining me again today and thank you so much for Bruce Marchiano sharing with us from “Jesus the Christ” a special 2 DVD set just released, a theatrical cut from “The Gospel of Matthew” the NIV version and we have it for you today as a thank you for your gift to this ministry. It’s the life of Christ in a movie length version. I want you to have that and I would like you to call us in a few moments. Call us toll free in North America, our number is 1-800-654-2836, that’s 1-800-654-2836. And I hope when you get in touch that you’ll tell us the station you’re listening to as well. And one more thing as I give you our internet address, perhaps this is a program that someone you know needs to hear. Someone who needs to understand what having a pure heart is all about so that they too can see God. Go to our website, haventoday.org and there you’ll see on our homepage a place where you can type in your friend’s email address along with a note and this program that you just heard will be on its way. So if you want a copy of the special 2 DVD set and make your gift to Haven Today just go to our website, h.a.v.e.n.t.o.d.a.y, haventoday.org. We’d love to hear from you today. And if you’d like to get a copy of that book that we have, the brand new book by Warren Weirsbe, “50 People Every Christian Should Know” we have plenty on hand and we’d like you to have one as well so call us at 1-800-65-HAVEN or go online at haventoday.org.
I’m Charles Morris and thanks for being with me. Would you come back again tomorrow when again we’ll be telling the great story? It’s all about Jesus, from the Beatitudes, together here on Haven Today.