When Jesus says in His Beatitudes, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God, He refers to thoughts that are undivided, unmixed, unadulterated, genuine, and sincere. The English word pure translates the Greek word katharos, which means to cleanse or to purge, as in a refining process where impurities and alloys are removed. The intent of katharos suggests harboring no guile or deceit, a trait Jesus recognized in children when He taught that whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it. Our Savior seeks those who reject the bad and purge it, leaving them clean and focused solely on the good. God Almighty demands that the whole course of life be rendered pure, from the heart's motives and desires to the outward words and behaviors, ensuring that we maintain contact with our Creator.

During our pre-Passover examination of our hearts, we are called to align them with God's holy standard. In Matthew 5:8, Jesus declares, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." The Greek word for pure, katharos (G2513), means clean, clear, and pure. Envision our heart as a bucket under a waterfall; if filled with the clear, clean water of God's Holy Spirit, it reflects His pure, holy heart, and what overflows is the fruit of that Spirit. This same word, katharos, appears in I Timothy 1:5, stating that the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, alongside a good conscience and sincere faith. The design of God's law is to create in us a heart like His, full of sacrificial love that prioritizes others and obeys the great commandments to love God with all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves. In Hebrews 10:19-22, we are encouraged to draw near to God with a true heart and full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. As we approach God, our evil hearts are cleansed by His pure Holy Spirit, transforming them to become more like His through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Finally, in I Peter 1:22, we are instructed to love one another fervently with a pure heart, having purified our souls by obeying the truth through the Spirit. As we examine our hearts with God during this pre-Passover time, we must ask for His help to cleanse them, shutting off worldly distractions and pointing our hearts solely to His pure and holy spiritual fountainhead through Jesus Christ.

In exploring the concept of seeing God, a key element is found in Matthew 5:8, where Jesus declares, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." The term "pure" here is translated from the Greek word *katharos* (G2513), which fundamentally means clean, without stain or blemish, spotless, clear, unsoiled, and undefiled. It conveys the idea of purity in a literal sense, but also extends metaphorically to imply guiltlessness, blamelessness, innocence, sincerity, uprightness, and an absence of evil, reflecting moral and ethical cleanliness. An illustration of *katharos* is seen in John 13:10-11, where Jesus, during the washing of His disciples' feet, speaks of cleanliness in both a physical and spiritual sense. He explains that one who is bathed needs only to wash their feet to be completely clean, using *katharos* to transition from a physical act to a spiritual principle. He indicates that His disciples are spiritually clean, though not all, pointing to the need for ongoing cleansing due to contact with the world and human nature. This shows that *katharos* at its root deals with outward cleanliness, while over time, it has accrued metaphorical meanings of moral and ethical purity, paralleling similar developments in English usage where "clean" can mean ethically blameless. In the context of Matthew 5:8, Jesus uses *katharos* metaphorically by specifying "pure in heart," focusing on an internal, unseen purity rather than external cleanliness. This purity at the core of one's being is essential for seeing God, emphasizing that a heart cleansed of moral and ethical defilement is necessary to perceive Him as He truly is.

The Greek word *katharos* (G2513), translated as "pure," carries a fundamental meaning of being unalloyed, unadulterated, and unmixed. It is linked to concepts of cleanliness, as in washing, and is used to describe grain that has been winnowed, separating the chaff from the heavier grain. Additionally, it applies to an army purged of the faint-hearted or weak, leaving only the strongest soldiers. When paraphrased in context, it suggests a blessing on the man whose motives are entirely unmixed. This purity relates to the heart, understood as the seat of a person's attitude or inclination, indicating a direction of mind that leans toward selflessness and righteousness. Those who are pure in heart are promised to see God, implying both a literal vision and a deeper understanding of God's purpose and kingdom. This beatitude calls for significant self-examination, challenging individuals to assess their motives behind actions, ensuring they are not driven by a desire for approval or self-righteousness, but by a genuine, unmixed intent to do good.