shawnethomas

I enjoy going to a number of high school sporting events, like football and basketball games, and track meets. I don’t think I’ll ever forget this one track meet I watched several years ago in Louisiana. As I sat in the bleachers, I noticed this one particular runner warming up, who looked very impressive. He had a spiffy uniform, as well as some custom socks and some golden shoes, and all the most fashionable accessories. He went through his warm-ups in a professional manner, with all the right moves, the right preparation. I thought, I can’t wait to see this guy run — he must really be good. But when the starting pistol went off, I almost burst out laughing. This “impressive looking runner” was the slowest guy on the track! He looked SO good — but he performed so badly.

I was still laughing to myself as I thought about this race afterwards. I thought, you know, this is pretty typical America, where “appearance” means everything. Doesn’t matter as much how good you are, as how good you LOOK. Too often in our country, appearance is more important than substance: in athletics, in politics — and too often, in the church.

But we need to understand something very important this morning: appearance may mean everything in the United States of America — but it is not so in the Kingdom of God. It is the substance that matters in the Kingdom; the heart — and that is the point of this 6th Beatitude: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Continue reading →