“Pure and Simple” By Jeannette Haley

“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtility, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” – 2 Corinthians 11:3.

Time, like a broad flowing river, seems to be picking up speed as it threatens to pull mankind ever deeper into its dark, swirling depths of confusion that blur the edges of good conscience and common sense. The pure and simple has been replaced by an increasingly intrusive existence of artificial complications. As this river of time becomes aggressively putrid and polluted, one can look back to purer and simpler times when the “river” was broad and smooth, and much easier to mentally and emotionally navigate. At least back then it was more local then global, and without a constant barrage of mind boggling, mentally depressing, and spiritually grievous “news” and information so great that no single human could bear the load of it all. Thinking on this brought to mind the little chorus, “Put on the garment of praise, for the spirit of heaviness…”.

However, generations ago, mankind wasn’t interested in stopping so-called “progress” because “fixing things that weren’t broken,” for the most part, put money in pockets. Since people love the world and all it purports to offer, they forgot to be thankful for the pure and simple things of life, because, after all, the “river” of time offers a way to greater achievements and inventions that promise easier living and “time saved,” more excitement, fun and entertainment, along with greater wealth, and even unimaginable power. The river of time is gaining momentum and “anybody who is anybody” hates to be left behind because in their minds, progressiveness promises an easier life, success, purpose and happiness. And who doesn’t want to be happy, especially this time of year when everybody is supposed to be happy.

This is the point where a fork in the river takes place. While the greater part of the river rushes on, following the course set by this world, a small tributary changes course, seeking out through deep and narrow channels the solitary places of quiet beauty and rest, a place where the reflection of God is clear and unruffled, where His voice can be heard amid the sounds of nature that He created. It is a secret place in life where one seeks not to secure their own happiness, but through faith seeks “first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” Matthew 6:33, knowing that God will add all that a person needs. This is a place where abundant joy rises forth out of the purity and simplicity of thanksgiving, praise, and worship in the Spirit.

Meanwhile, the broad river of time promises worldly happiness as it overflows its borders and seemingly knows no boundaries when it comes to the amount of lies it can tell, destruction it can cause, or lives it can destroy. It sweeps through cities offering physical pleasures and a perverted form of self-saturating “happiness” that rivals the unspeakable evil of Sodom and Gomorrah. It carries away gullible and unsuspecting youth with its promises of satisfaction, happiness, purpose and demonic power through drugs and rebellion, but its promises are merely satanic illusions that, unless repented of, end in a wasted life in prison at best, or an eternity in hell at worst.

This river of the world not only seeks those who are lost and hiding in the darkness lest their deeds should come to the light, but it has the power to entice, influence, seduce and saturate every level of society with such a lust for happiness that it borders on idolatry. It matters little how intricately complicated, scientifically beneficial, awe-inspiring, or terrifying the One World financial, political, or religious systems may be—just so long as those involved lust after something—anything—except the one true Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth, the only wise God.

Even the organized church has splashed around in this river that offers “happiness” through endless entertainment, clever sayings, platitudes, smooth messages, self-oriented “worship,” and “soft on sin” church protocol that assures that all are comfortable, and no one’s self-esteem is offended. Of course, all this means that Scriptural warnings, rebukes, exhortations, commandments, conditions, chastisements and judgments are relegated to “outsiders” and not to the self-satisfied hearers, or such warnings are ignored altogether. This clever maneuvering around the more “uncomfortable” passages of Scripture to keep everybody happy is tantamount to equipping God’s people with a warped slingshot and a few cotton balls for ammunition against the enemy of our souls.

Jesus may have surprised the multitudes when, instead of preaching a complicated, hard-to-understand Jewish sermon, He spoke pure and simple words of heavenly beauty, power, and profound, soul-shaking truth known as the Beatitudes (see Matthew 5:3-12 and Isaiah 61:1-3). No doubt the multitudes He taught then were after the same things for themselves and their families that we are today, except for Americans we have been told that happiness is all wrapped up in gaining “the American Dream.” That includes contemporary Christians who live after the “fashion” of this world. After all, they conclude that God wants them to be happy, plus the emphasis these days is on the importance of being happy, successful, and somehow fulfilled; therefore, it’s okay to tell yourself that you’re in control of your own destiny, all of which is supposed to make you “happy.”

Jesus, knowing the common quest for happiness and what produces a true state of blessedness uttered words that pierced straight into the heart of the matter. To the gathered multitudes He said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” If we go to Isaiah 57:15 we read “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and lofty place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Isaiah 66:2b says, “but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” What beautiful words of purity and simplicity that reveal it is impossible to truly repent without contrition and humility such as the Publican and the Pharisee in Luke 18:10-14. Likewise, Paul wrote, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” Romans 12:3.

Then Jesus said, “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:40. If sin had never entered into the world, there would be no need for mourning. Have you ever sought to console a broken-hearted person who was deeply mourning? If so, you know that there are no words in any language on earth that have the power to change the indescribable, wretched brokenness and sorrow that threaten to drown them in a pit of overwhelming misery. All we can do is “weep with those that weep” which is what we are commanded to do in Romans 12:15b. Choose to deny yourself and enter in with others as Jesus gave up the glory of heaven to come to earth to identify with us. Jesus identifies with us in our deepest sorrows. Jesus Himself groaned in His spirit, was troubled, and wept. (John 11:33, 35). The Bible records three times that Jesus wept, John 3:35; Luke 19:41; Hebrews 5:7-9, but we know there must have been more tears than we could ever calculate for “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were, our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted”” Isaiah 53:3-4.

The institutional church of today has polished itself up to give the impression that “it happily has it all together,” proudly demonstrating that there is nothing, whether in word, song or deed, that will stir up any emotional response to anything, and that there is little, if any, genuinely real, deep and seriously moving, bottom-line raw, heart-felt or Spirit-led emotional responses. Where are we commanded anywhere in Scripture that God’s people are to be known as “The Church of the Stiff Upper Lip?” Oh, but we must be happy, or at least pretend to be, so people will know that Jesus came and died to “make us happy.” No, He did not. He came and shed His blood for our sins, so we could repent of them, and be reconciled to God and made HOLY. And, in the end, God Himself shall wipe away all tears from our eyes. (See Revelation 21:4.)

The third beatitude, Matthew 5:5 says, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” “Meek” is not a sought-after attribute in this competitive world, and most people view meek as being a weak, indecisive, fearful person of little or no ambition. However, godly meekness is humble confidence, wisdom, quiet strength and power under control. Psalm 37:11 says, “But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” How beautiful, how wonderful, how pure and simple these words of truth are that Jesus spoke, especially to those among us who are never happy unless they have something to look forward to. Surely this great promise of happiness that is coming upon the earth should bless the hearts of the meek. Of course, becoming “meek” in the sight of God is a process that requires a life of self-denial, cross bearing, obedience and faithfulness despite hardship and persecution. To inherit the earth is conditional. In other words, there is a requirement, and meekness is that requirement.

There is a sense of desperation in the words “hungering” and “thirsting” and that’s what we sense in the fourth Beatitude. “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” Matthew 5:6. I think of this verse often when the unspeakable evil and vileness that prevails over the entire world becomes a burden too great to bear. The lack of righteousness in these end days is so great that it causes a gnawing hunger and thirst for righteousness that cannot be satisfied; nevertheless, we know that the promise of being filled is established in heaven for all eternity. Indeed, the time is coming when all our sufferings and longings will be satisfied when the Lord of lords and King of kings reigns over all creation.

The fifth Beatitude, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” Matthew 5:7 is an indisputable fact and Proverbs 11:17, “The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh” states the consequence for cruelty. Jesus spoke in detail concerning mercy in Matthew 25:34-40 and no unmerciful soul will escape the clear injunctions of the Lord concerning this matter on Judgment Day, nor will such a one find happiness, or wellbeing before that day.

The sixth Beatitude, states, Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” which leaves no room for debate. There are no “shades of gray” in this matter for Hebrews 12:14 clearly states, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord”. Holiness and peace out of a pure heart results in happiness.

The seventh Beatitude, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” Matthew 5:9. How can one make peace without the attributes of humility, contrition, righteousness, mercy, purity and simplicity which characterize the children of God? That is something to think about. How happy are the peacemakers of God!

Jesus’ words were pure and simple. Shimmering with the glory of heavenly light, beautiful in their eloquent, purest form of truth, simple to understand, yet somehow powerfully challenging and understandable within the deepest recesses of the soul.

However, the final “Blessed’s” in Jesus’ discourse may have suddenly cast a dark cloud over the expectant hearers. Yes, there were promises of happiness, but there was a price to pay—a price that many a person has refused to pay down through the ages. We read, “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (vs. 11) and “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake” (vs. 12). Jesus then finalized the Beatitudes with, not only promises of “happiness,” but outright “rejoicing!” He said, “Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (vs. 12).

In conclusion, each Beatitude can be understood as a steppingstone, as it were, to happiness that, if we faint not, assuredly leads us onward and upward to the glorious garden of God where those, whose hearts have been made as pure and simple as that of a little child, will rejoice with great joy in our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ, forever.