If we have adequately established, both historically from the Scriptures and the tradition that they inform and by which they are informed and with which Jesus would have been familiar, as well as within the context of the sermon on the mount, that purity of heart is related to money (treasure) and its use, we can now go on to discern, based on that understanding, what it might mean to “see God.” To determine this, we have to look outside the sermon on the mount, realizing that the sermon of chapters five, six, and seven serve as the foundation of what we see and hear from Jesus throughout the remainder of Matthew’s Gospel. That is a completely understandable and plausible assertion, as when we read a story, presented in narrative form, as Matthew’s presentation of Jesus most certainly is, we know that the things we see and hear and read early in the story will inform our understanding of what comes later, just as what comes later generally allows us to interpret that which we have already encountered.
With that said, we turn to the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew. In the thirty-first verse of this chapter, we hear Jesus speaking. He says “When the Son of Man comes in His glory and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.” Now, we know that Jesus here speaks of Himself. Prior to this, Matthew presents Jesus speaking of Himself as the Son of Man on twenty-three occasions. After this usage, there will be an additional four, all found in the twenty-sixth chapter, making for a total of twenty-eight self-references as the Son of Man. When Jesus speaks of the Son of Man in conjunction with coming in glory, angels, and a throne, He is making explicit reference to the Son of Man of Daniel chapter seven. Looking to Daniel, we read “I was watching in the night visions, And with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man was approaching. He went up to the Ancient of Days and was escorted before Him. To Him was given ruling authority, honor, and sovereignty. All peoples, nations, and language groups were serving Him. His authority is eternal and will not pass away. His kingdom will not be destroyed” (7:13-14).
When we hear reference to the this Son of Man, especially at this juncture in the Matthew’s work (though really throughout the entirety of the work), the reference demands to be heard in the context of and in connection with the kingdom of heaven. This Son of Man is given rule over all. He rules over the kingdom of God, which is an interchangeable term with kingdom of heaven, both meaning the same thing. Since it is God Himself that is understood to ultimately rule His kingdom, then it is quite safe to say (though this probably needs far more qualifications and explanations), that the Son of Man, though not the Ancient of Days, and though not looked to as Father God, is of a piece with God. Naturally, as the Matthean narrative is compiled from a post-Resurrection perspective in which Jesus is worshiped as the Son of God and the Messiah (the manifestation of God in the flesh), the term “Son of Man” is overtly bestowed with divine attributes. Put simply, if Jesus is understood to be God, and if He calls Himself the Son of Man, then the Son of Man is God.
Now why does this matter? It matters because of what happens in conjunction with this particular report of the activity of the Son of Man. We go on to read that “All the nations will be assembled before Him, and He will separate people from one another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left. Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’” (25:32-34) Paying close attention now, we find out why they will inherit the kingdom (mind you, this is not about going to a place called heaven, but rather, living in and possessing God’s kingdom brought to earth), as Jesus (the Son of Man, the Son of God, the King) says “For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in, I was naked and you gave Me clothing, I was sick and you took care of Me, I was in prison and you visited Me” (25:35-36). This sounds an awful lot like the use of treasure. Might we be supposed to think, at this point, about the construct of purity in heart from earlier in Matthew?
We go on to hear the response from those to whom Jesus has spoken, as we read: “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and invite You in, or naked and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’” (25:37-39) After Jesus has detailed, and His hearers have repeated the use of treasure, illustrated by food, drink, hospitality and shelter, clothing, and the gift of self and time, which we now understand to be the demonstration of purity of heart (it is not difficult to see in these things the care that God demands be given to resident foreigners, orphans, widows, and the poor), the righteous respond most interestingly. Just in case it passed un-noticed, the response contains three uses of “see You.” It is asked, “when did we see You.” We have a demonstration of purity of heart directed towards the King (Jesus, God), followed by a seeing. There we have it! This is the answer for which we have been searching. To seal the deal and close out this study, let us look at what comes next. “And the King will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me” (25:40). Those that give of themselves and their treasure in these ways, providing food, drink, clothing, shelter, and care to fellow travelers in this world that also, however broken and marred, bear the same divine image with which we have all been endowed, reveal that they are pure in heart. Yes, according to Jesus, they have seen, and do indeed, see God.
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