Posts Tagged ‘Matthew 5:8’

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Br. Keith Nelson

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8)

Throughout Hebrew scripture, the heart stands for the hidden essence of our humanity. The soft or tender heart is receptive to wisdom, spiritually pliable, agile: it can bend, turn, and change. The hardened heart is defiantly unreceptive. It is no longer made of flesh, but of stone. It has calcified by its own volition, choosing itself over God.

In his own teaching, Jesus elaborates upon the heart-wisdom of his ancestors. In his parables and sayings, the heart is a source of good or bad treasure. It is soil that receives seed. It is the arena of our inmost thoughts, imagination, and faith. The heart is an abode for the indwelling Holy Spirit given to us.

For his disciples, Jesus is the heart of the God we worship, and in Jesus this God has a human heartbeat. Read More