Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God (Matthew 5:8).
In our daily meditations, we are exploring Jesus' teachings on the attitudes of the heart of those who walk with Christ, as presented in The Sermon on the Mount. In this Beatitude, Jesus speaks of the profound internal cleansing and washing with water by the Word of God (Ephesians 5:26). The believer in Christ is sanctified or set apart by God for Himself and, after their conversion to Christ, undergoes tests prepared by the Lord—times and experiences in their lives when God challenges and transforms motives and purifies the heart. The promise is awe-inspiring: those who have had their hearts purified by the Lord are the ones who will see God. This character quality will be the great reward of heaven, “They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads” (Revelation 22:4). God's name on their forehead signifies Christ's character ruling their thoughts and lives. The many names we have of God signify different aspects of His character, so this could be a literal mark or may be a poetic way of saying that the mark of Christ's ownership will be upon the believer.
Blessed Are the Peacemakers, For They Will Be Called Sons of God (v. 9).
A peacemaker is not a passive term, i.e., one who does nothing and merely keeps the peace. This Beatitude refers to someone who initiates peace by breaking down barriers between individuals, someone who aligns others with God. A peacemaker is someone who risks pain to confront and reveal the things that cause division and disunity. A peacemaker helps people resolve their issues with God and often possesses the gift of an evangelist. Can I pause and ask you right now: How is your relationship with God at this moment? Do you feel a barrier between you and Him? God is a peacemaker, and we, as His people, must also act as peacemakers. We must first be at peace with God and then extend His peace to others.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. (v. 10).
When these character qualities are within us, the light will reveal the darkness in those around us, and often, there can be retaliation, especially if we confront those around us with the Gospel. Jesus said, “A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). We must always be aware and vigilant because we live in enemy territory, and a war is being waged against the Lord and us as His people. Often, the enemy will employ the most influential people around us to speak disheartening words to us. People whose opinions we respect will say the harshest things to us or to the One we serve. We should not be surprised at such attacks, but we are to rejoice that we are counted worthy to suffer for His Name.
11Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Matthew 5:11-12).
The Lord Jesus gave us an example in this sermon of how we should seek to live our lives. He has given us His "recipe for Life." It can be confusing because it goes against the ways of this world. But that is the point. In these Beatitudes, we find His attitudes for living. He also always offers us His help to do His will through the power of His Spirit. The Lord will be quick to come to our aid when we ask for His help to demonstrate these character qualities. He is at work in us to shape us into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). Keith Thomas
This meditation is from a more complete study found at the following link: The Beatitudes
The YouTube video teaching is at the following link: https://youtu.be/9y-1KKJGLSo