Matthew 5:1a, 2b, 8 - Seeing the crowds, [Jesus] ... opened His mouth and taught them, saying ... "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
"They shall see God," says Jesus. What a terrible, wonderful, frightening gift that is! Because human beings have always known that to see God is to die—to be destroyed, burnt up by His glory. We hear this all through the Old Testament, whenever people come into contact with God. Jacob and Manoah, Samson's father, both meet God and worry about dying. The Israelites at Mt. Horeb are terrified when they see God's glory, and they beg Moses to never let it happen to them again (see Genesis 32:30; Judges 13:22; Deuteronomy 5:24).
After all that, why would anyone want to see God? You think people would want to avoid it. But then we get Job, who really wants to see God no matter what happens to him: "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has thus been destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another" (Job 19:25-27a). And Moses actually asks God, "Please show me Your glory." And he gets the answer, "I will make all My goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you My Name 'The Lord.' .... But ... you cannot see My face, for man shall not see Me and live" (Exodus 33:19-20).
Why would Moses ask such a thing? Why would Job yearn for it? I think it's for love. These are people who have spent their life following God, however imperfectly. Of course they want to see Him—even if it destroys them.
And Jesus says it will finally happen—but this blessing will be given to the pure in heart. Oh dear, I think to myself. That will disqualify me for sure! And it would, if God expected me to purify my own heart. Because I know that the harder I try, the more I mess up. How am I ever going to see the holy God?
Only as a gift. You, and I, and everyone else who loves the Lord—we can and will see Him, because Jesus, who is God Himself, has died and risen to make it so. Not because of our goodness, but because we trust in Jesus, the Lord Himself is remaking our hearts. As He says, "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and ... I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart ..... And I will put My Spirit within you" (Ezekiel 36:25-27).
And so we have this great joy to look forward to, seeing the Lord we love face to face. No longer are we in danger of death, for this is our own dear Savior who protects us. It will not be someone strange we see on that day, but the One we love most of all—for Jesus tells us, "Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9b). And Paul says, "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6).
WE PRAY: Lord, give me this great gift, to see You and love You. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
1. Do you have a picture of someone you love? If so, where do you keep it?
2. Would you like to see Jesus?
3. How do you think you might react, when you finally do see Him face to face?
Today's Bible Readings: Jeremiah 50 Hebrews 6
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