In verse 8 the Lord goes on to say, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” To be pure in heart is to be single in purpose, to have the single goal of accomplishing God’s will for God’s glory (1 Cor. 10:31). This is for the kingdom of the heavens. Our spirit is the organ to receive Christ (John 1:12; 3:6), whereas our heart is the ground where Christ as the seed of life grows (Matt. 13:19). For the kingdom of the heavens we need to be poor in spirit, empty in our spirit, that we may receive Christ. We also need to be pure in heart, single in our heart, that Christ may grow in us without frustration. If we are pure in heart in seeking God, we shall see God. Seeing God is a reward to the pure in heart. This blessing is both for today and for the coming age.

Matthew 5:9 says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Satan, the rebellious one, is the instigator of all rebellion. For the kingdom of the heavens, under its heavenly ruling, we must be peacemakers with all men (Heb. 12:14). The sons of the Devil cause discord, but the sons of God make peace. As the Son of God, the Lord Jesus made peace with God and man. Now, as the sons of God, we should follow Him to be peacemakers.

Our Father is the God of peace (Rom. 15:33; 16:20); He has a peaceful life with a peaceful nature. As those born of Him, if we would be peacemakers, we must behave in His life according to His nature. Then, expressing the Father’s life and nature, we shall be called sons of God.

In verses 10 and 11 the Lord speaks about the believers being persecuted and reproached. Verse 10 says, “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.” The whole world lies in the evil one (1 John 5:19) and is filled with unrighteousness. Every aspect of the world is unrighteous. If we hunger and thirst for righteousness, we shall be persecuted for the sake of righteousness. This indicates that we need to pay a price for the righteousness we seek for the kingdom of the heavens. If we are righteous, we shall be condemned, opposed, and persecuted.

Matthew 5:10 says that those who are persecuted for righteousness are blessed, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens. If we seek righteousness at a cost, the kingdom of the heavens becomes ours. We are in its reality now, and we shall be rewarded with its manifestation in the coming age.

Concluding His word concerning the nature of the kingdom people, the Lord Jesus says in verse 11, “Blessed are you when they reproach and persecute you, and say every evil thing against you, lying, for My sake.” The persecution in verse 10 is for the sake of righteousness, because of our seeking for righteousness, whereas the persecution in verse 11 is directly for the sake of Christ, because of our following Him. When we live a life for the kingdom of the heavens in its spiritual nature and according to its heavenly principles, we shall be reproached, persecuted, and evil spoken of, mainly by the religious people who hold on to their traditional religious concepts.

In verse 12 the Lord Jesus speaks an encouraging word to those who are persecuted for His sake: “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in the heavens; for thus they persecuted the prophets before you.” This reward indicates that the results of all the foregoing blessings are also rewards. This reward is great and is in the heavens, a heavenly reward, not an earthly one.
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