What does it mean to be pure in heart, and does purity require a person to be sinless? In Matthew 5:8, Christ promises that the pure in heart will see God. The Orthodox Church understands purity as the healing of a divided heart. It means learning to seek God above success, approval, pleasure, and control. This Bible study taught by Anthony Ally considers what the Desert Fathers can teach us about this struggle.

Abba Moses and St. John Cassian describe purity of heart as the immediate goal of the Christian life. Prayer, fasting, generosity, and self-denial help gather our scattered desires toward God. The study also examines the rich young ruler, who could not release the possessions and control that held his heart. His sorrow challenges us to consider what we are still unwilling to surrender. The hardest possession to release may be our ow ...