[Jesus speaking] “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.”

If someone were to ask you, “How would you define a ‘Pure Heart’?” What would you say? Many might tout off accomplishments, like giving large amounts of money or taking long pilgrimages, or feeding the hungry. It hit me in reading this passage that Jesus defines for us one of the most important aspects of a person with a pure heart towards God. It is found in the last verse above. “For I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.” Out of this humility, and offering up of his will to God, Jesus served. And in serving in this way, he built a strong, powerful relationship with God. So strong -- he was confident that whenever he acted in God’s will, God would show up. And God was pleased with his Son and gave him authority to judge on his behalf.

This is something we can emulate about Jesus. He was the perfect model of submission to God. He only did God’s will. As we roll into Christmas, celebrating Jesus’ birth, let us focus only on what God’s will is for our lives. How would he want us to spend our time, talent, and treasures? What does our Lord seek for us to do? Life is moving slow, but fast. We live in deceptive times. There is a warning here as well — don’t die without setting you heart right before God. I would hate to be awakened from the sleep of death only to find the agony of hell behind the door to the rest of my life.

We must fight for clarity in our relationship with God. Otherwise, we will get sucked up into the ways of the world.