DAILY DEVOTIONALS for JULY
Wednesday, July 23
- Scripture: Matthew 5:8 – “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
- Reflection: Who can actually claim to be pure in heart? The Beatitudes (of which this passage is one), and which comprise a major portion of the Sermon on the Mount taught by Jesus, are aspirational in many ways. They also name inner states of being versus outward actions and appearances.
The Beatitudes are also about turning expectations upside down. So who is oriented toward God? The conditions listed in the Beatitudes reveal to us that messy folks who keep struggling, and trying, and getting it wrong, and then choosing again to turn toward God for support and relationship, are exactly the sort of people who are pure of heart. The Beatitudes tell us that our humanity, our imperfections, our human cracks that let the light in, become ways of seeing and receiving what is holy.
‘Pure of heart’ can signify clarity of perception about what is holy and holistic and sacred. Commentators from the Enduring Word say, “In the ancient Greek, the phrase pure of heart has the idea of straightness, honesty, and clarity.” It can also mean single-minded, undivided focus and commitment toward Godself.
Notably, the heart, in ancient times, wasn’t the seat of personal emotions. Rather it was an organ used to discern divine presence and purpose. The Center for Action and Contemplation says, “”In today’s meditation … Cynthia Bourgeault reminds us that when the heart is awake we are able to more fully receive, radiate, and reflect Inifnite Love.” (full article: http://ow.ly/XxdO30i7nOA)
How does purity of heart lead to peacefulness and respite of spirit? With clear perception by the heart, becoming aware and awake and connected to God’s presence and purpose, comes access to a sense of relief and indrawn breath. Connection to God and perception of God reminds us that there’s something larger, something more powerful and enduring, that exists beyond and surrounding our finite existence. We can glimpse the eternal through the ephemeral. Center for Action and Contemplation continues,“When the heart is right, Jesus says, seeing will be right. He ties together heart and sight. Consider the saying, “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.” So is God. All we need to do is keep the lens clean, the heart pure.”
So what makes the heart right? Mostly, we’re trying to be attentive and alert. We’re following, as best we can, Jesus’ holy and holistic Way. Our hearts are oriented toward God. Commentator Rev Nadia Bolz-Weber argues that Jesus, when delivering this sermon, is speaking to people like us, who cannot always attain the absolute standards he’s discussing in the Beatitudes. And yet, he calls his listeners the salt of the earth and light of the world. Not because they have achieved high standards of excellence and righteousness, but because they are those gathered to listen. vulnerable and willing to be open to what he’s sharing. They are people otherwise overlooked, or not considered to be blessed. They are disenfranchised. And he’s telling them they are already blessed. And holy. And beloved. (full article: https://thecorners.substack.com/p/salty-d99): - Spiritual Practice Prompt: Identify today, one moment or experience that brings you to awareness of awe and the presence of holiness in the world.
Song:
- Purify My Heart by LifeGen Worship: https://youtu.be/oJ6akShY7Ro?si=TEXxNfZxyAIPL0cb
- Pure Heart by performed by City Harvest Church: https://youtu.be/urZwFN4dIE8?si=JHbaF1_-xzLVQRDJ
We are not sent into this world mainly to enjoy the loveliness therein, nor to sit us down in passive ease; no, we were sent here for action. The soul that seeks to do the will of God with a pure heart, fervently, does not yield to the lethargy of ease. — Dorothea Dix
July 23 Daily Devotional