Jesus’ first public sermon was recorded in the Gospels of Matthew (Matthew 5) and Luke (Luke 6). His sixth blessing from God, called the “Beatitudes,” that Matthew recorded was:
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
What does it mean to be pure in heart? What does it mean that those who have a pure heart will see God? The word used in this verse for “pure” in Greek is καθαροὶ and is transliterated “katharos” (pronounced kath-ar-os’), which means “pure,” “clean,” “unstained,” “guiltless,” “innocent,” and “upright.” In Hebrew the word for “pure,” in the spiritual sense, is זַ֥ךְ and is transliterated zaḵ, meaning “pure” and “clean.”
