The Revelation of God to the Little Ones

The Revelation of God to the Little Ones

^{Matthew 11: 25 - 27}

^{The Gospel}

²⁵ At that time Jesus said in reply,^[a] “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. ²⁶ Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. ²⁷ All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.

Reflection

Today’s reading speaks about God’s revelation of himself.

In this short reading, we hear Jesus exclaiming with so much joy, his deep gratitude to the Father for having revealed himself to the little ones and for having hidden himself from the wise and the intelligent.  This statement of Jesus says a lot about who God is. Apparently, God doesn’t disclose himself to all. And because he doesn’t disclose himself to all, he is not known to everyone.  

This seems to be the case in the Old Testament. While God has always been with his people Israel, travelling with them through the desert and dwelling in the temple in Jerusalem, he has remained hidden and out of sight through a cloud, not revealing himself totally but speaking only through Moses and his prophets. God was shrouded in mystery; this is why people feared God, thinking they would die instantly once they see him face to face (Exod 19: 21).

But when God finally revealed himself fully to mankind, he revealed himself in Jesus.  In Jesus, God has acquired a human face. God no longer remained hidden and out of sight but was made visible in and through Jesus. In Jesus, we have seen the Father’s glory living in our midst, becoming just like one of us except sin. God who was once shrouded in mystery has now shown his face to us and has spoken, no longer through his prophets but through his only Son, Jesus (Heb 1:1).

Notwithstanding this total and unique revelation of God in and through Jesus, God continues to remain unknown and hidden to many, especially to those who continue to reject Jesus and refuse to believe in him. It is these people whom Jesus calls, in today’s reading, as “wise and intelligent.” Ironically, it is those who have the intellectual capacity to understand and comprehend God’s revelation who refuse to believe in God’s revelation of himself in and through Jesus.  

While Jesus was referring to the scribes and pharisees as those who were wise and intelligent; as those who refused to believe in him despite the signs and wonders he performed, Jesus nonetheless warns all of those who rely solely on their human capacity to understand as their only means to know God. Such reliance on human understanding alone is not enough because ultimately, it is God who chooses whom to reveal himself. This is why Jesus says: “ No one knows the Father except the son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

God’s revelation of himself, then, is a gift. It is not something that we acquire simply from our own reasoning. And because it is a gift, the proper response to this wonderful gift is faith. In faith, we open ourselves fully to the marvelous workings of God who chooses to reveal himself to us. In faith, we believe in him who reveals himself to us, submitting ourselves totally to him, and loving him totally with our whole being. It is this kind of surrender that makes faith simple yet profound and deep. It is so simple that those who try to figure it out with their own minds can never fully understand it.

The simplicity of faith is what makes people of faith also simple. This is why Jesus calls people who believe in him, “the little ones.” Faith is childlike. Just as a child has full trust in his father or mother, so is faith in God. Faith doesn’t have the complicated workings of the human mind. It is the simple and spontaneous response of a heart that knows that he is loved and that in the end, all things would work together well for one’s good ( Rom 8:28).

In the end, God reveals himself to the simple; to those who follow his Son unreservedly; to those who have surrendered themselves totally to God who reveals himself in love, in and through Jesus; to those who despite tremendous hardships and struggles in life, continue to believe in God and journey with him through life; to those who continue to hope in the Lord notwithstanding the gloom and darkness that surround them.

This is God’s self revelation given to the little ones; the kind of revelation hidden from the wise and the learned but generously given to the little ones who in the simplicity of their faith, believe.

Prayer

Dear God, thank you for revealing yourself to us, in and through Jesus your son. In Jesus your son, we have come to know you as one who loves us, as one who is not afraid to go through the darkness of death so that we may live; as one who is always with us in our journey through this valley of tears. Increase our faith dear Lord so that we may walk as your little ones who follow you and know how to surrender ourselves to your loving care and goodness. Amen.

Assignment

Stay calm and still in a quiet place.

Say a prayer of surrender to the Lord, submitting to him all your plans, your worries, your anxieties, your hopes, your joys and your sorrows.

Then end everything by saying: “ Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.”

Quote:

God’s revelation of himself is a gift. It is not something that we acquire simply from our own reasoning.