Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Matthew 5:8
Hopefully you never have to be in an operating room at the hospital (unless of course you work in one). But if you ever are in one, you will see that these rooms are spotless. Hard work is put into keeping them that way. And just like the operating room must be kept clean so it can restore people to perfect health without causing them additional damage, we must keep our hearts clean so that they can keep us in perfect spiritual health and encourage spiritual health to those around us.
Why the heart? Because Jesus said, “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil man out of his evil treasure produces evil. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45) The pure in heart are those who are cleansed, first through baptism, then continual cleansing through tears of repentance. We are baptized once with water. There is no re-baptism. But we can be cleansed through “tears” of repentance in the Sacrament of Confession, and through this sacrament, we are actually able to return to the spiritually pure state we were in at baptism. Baptism is a complete cleansing that we receive without needing to make a confession. The ensuing cleansing through confession happens when we express sorrow (“tears”) over our sins.
Purity of heart is accomplished through focus on God. We achieve this through prayer, scripture reading, the Eucharist, church worship, repentance, fasting and almsgiving. When we focus on holy things, we become more holy. When we focus on unholy things, we become unholy. The hateful person sees hateful people, the dishonest person sees dishonest people, the loving person sees loving people.
The analogy of taking rocks out of a garden comes to mind when speaking about purifying the heart and how it is a continual process. If one has a flower bed that is filled with rocks, in order for a garden to be grown, the rocks must be removed. The largest rocks are moved first, then the smaller ones, then even the smallest ones, enough for seeds to be planted. Even as the garden grows, the gardener still looks for the smallest of pebbles and continually is removing them from the garden. The more rocks that are removed, the healthier the soil and the more likely the plants can grow up in a healthy way. Similarly, the more we focus on Godly things, the most “stones of sin” are removed from us and the purer we become. Even with a healthy spiritual garden, there will always be pebbles to remove. Becoming pure is a process that really never ends.
In speaking about “seeing God”, many skeptics complain, “Where is God? I cannot see Him.” Well, the blind person cannot see a chandelier but that doesn’t mean chandeliers do not exist, only that he has not experienced them. Those who are spiritually enlightened, rather than spiritually blind, experience God, see Him in others, see Him in nature, do not doubt His existence. Obviously, the more we are purified, the more we see the things of God.
Passions are things that darken the soul—like lust, jealousy, egotism, dishonesty, gossip, desire for power, gluttony. Passions are things that are attractive to the eye of the body at the expense of the eye of the soul. The Orthodox, compared to other Christian denominations, emphasize God as light. The impure cannot see God, they cannot stand to see God. Just like we cannot stand to look at the sun directly, not because someone tells us we can’t, we try to look and we can’t. After the soul leaves the body, if it is pure, it goes through to the Everlasting Light, which is what God intends. If the eye of the soul goes from dark to light, then the light of God will be beautiful to that person, and the person will delight in looking at it. If the eye of the soul/center of the heart, what theologians call “the nous”, has not been purified, if it is still dark with sin, then the light of God burns it like fire, the soul cannot be with God—that is hell.
It is not that God doesn’t want all people, He wants everyone. But God will only accept to look upon Him those who are prepared. And for those who are not prepared, they will not be able to look upon God not only because God will not find them worthy, but because THEY will not be able (they will know they are unworthy) to look upon God, just the same way that we cannot look into the sun.
Our eyes were created to see God. They were not created to see filth. It they are used for such a purpose, they will be rendered incapable of seeing God unless through repentance they are made pure again. When the heart is purified, then we clearly see what truth is and what is a lie, what is God’s will and what is not, what is of God and what is of the devil. We are also able to reflect, to mirror God to others; we become lights that shine for God in a sin-darkened world. And finally, we see God in ourselves, in others, and in the world around us.
In Thee, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame! In Thy righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline thy ear to me, and save me! Be Thou to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me, for Thou art my rock and my fortress. Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man. For Thou, O Lord, art my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth. Upon Thee I have leaned from my birth; Thou art He who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of thee. I have been as a portent to many; but Thou art my strong refuge. My mouth is filed with Thy praise, and with Thy glory all the ay. Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent. For my enemies speak concerning me, those who watch for my life consult together, and say, “God has forsaken him; pursue and seize him for there is none to deliver him.” O God, be not far from me; O my God make haste to help me! May my accusers be put to shame and consumed; with scorn and disgrace may they be covered who seek my hurt. But I will hope continually, and will praise Thee yet more and more. My mouth will tell of Thy righteous acts, of Thy deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge. With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come, I praise Thy righteousness, thine alone. O God, from my youth Thou has taught me, and I still proclaim Thy wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, till I proclaim Thy might to all the generations to come. Thy power and Thy righteousness, O God, reach the high heavens. Thou hast done great things, O God, who is like Thee? Thou who has made me see many sore troubles wilt revive me again; from the depth of the earth Thou wilt bring me up again. Thou wilt increase my honor and comfort me again. I will also praise Thee with the harp for Thy faithfulness, O my god; I will sing praises to Thee with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to Thee; my soul also, which Thou hast rescued. And my tongue will talk of Thy righteous help all the day long, for they have been put to shame and disgraced who sought to do me hurt. Psalm 71
Point to Ponder: Describe things of this world that tear away at our purity of heart. Which one do you struggle with the most—purity in thought, purity in feeling, or purity of actions? Why this area?
