Why does Jesus bless the pure in heart?

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Matthew 5:8

Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart…
Psalm 24:3-4

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
James 4:8

Jesus offers us the opportunity to see God, but first our heart must be pure. The sixth beatitude is both amazing and confusing. What is my heart and how does it become pure? What is purity, anyway? And what does it mean to see God? Good questions.

The heart is one of the most important concepts in the New Testament and an integral part of the Gospel. Humankind’s natural tendency is to focus on externals (how we appear to others). The Pharisees were a good example in Jesus’s day, and he had many conversations with them about the importance of aligning the inner person (the heart) with the person everyone sees.

Why does Jesus bless the merciful?

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Matthew 5:7

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice…
Hosea 6:6

The Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8

Some people love to give and receive mercy. Others, not so much. I say that because most of the folks I talk with think they don’t need mercy. Mercy is for victims and losers. Mercy is for wretched and miserable people. In other words, mercy is for people who are poor, mourning, meek, and hungry. And these are the people Jesus describes as “blessed.”

Why does Jesus bless those who hunger and thirst for righteousness?

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Matthew 5:6

Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.
Luke 6:21

As a deer longs for streams of water, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
Psalm 42:1-2

O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you; my soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water…. I lift my hands to you in prayer; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land thirsts for rain.
Psalms 63:1; 143:6

Hunger and thirst are metaphors we can all relate to. We know how satisfying a cool drink of water is when our throats are dry and how welcome a good meal is when we haven’t eaten in a while. But how many of us have ever hungered and thirsted for righteousness? What would that even look like?

Why does Jesus bless the meek?

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Matthew 5:5

How would you feel if someone described you as meek? Most of us define “meek” as timid and subservient. We see meekness as ineffectiveness–people who don’t have the courage, willpower, or resources to stand up for their rights. But while most of us associate meekness with weakness, Jesus associated it with godliness.