Jesus Rejoices in Spirit With Children Looking Upby CBPepper
11:26Matthew 11:26
Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.
Even so, Father, is Christ's thankful assent that it was fitting and good in His Father's sight, as Lord of heaven and earth, to hide the mysteries of redemption and the true character of God from the wise and prudent and to reveal them unto babes. He spoke it just after rebuking Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum for impenitence under the greatest light, declaring their judgment less tolerable than that of Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom, yet lifting Himself above sorrow at Israel's rejection to rejoice in spirit at the poor eagerly receiving Him. The wise and prudent are the learned, self-assured and religiously privileged who trust worldly wisdom and national exaltation and miss the Messiah's advent, mission and character, while the babes are the humble, childlike and obedient who are willing to be taught and live the Word, and to them God gives spiritual understanding that cannot be taken as ground for human pride. It is therefore a lesson and warning to those entrusted with great light and privilege that blessing requires growth, daily conversion, brokenness upon the Rock, and warfare with self and hereditary waywardness before they can bless others. From this thanksgiving He opens His heart of love past rejection to invite all, rich and poor, high and low, learned and unlearned, to come, take His yoke, enter the covenant of grace, and find rest and eternal life as the balm for sin and disquietude.
Setting and Wording
The words were spoken immediately after the rebuke of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum for not repenting though most of the mighty works were done in them, with a more tolerable judgment declared for Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom. They were uttered at the time of rejection by Israel amid abounding sin, when His own received Him not. He wept in sadness over people who turned from Him despite the plainest evidence of the divinity of His mission, hardening their hearts against Him and closing their eyes to the light.
Even then He lifted Himself above sorrow and painful thoughts of the result of their rejection to give thanks and rejoice in spirit. He beheld the poor of this world eagerly accepting His message. His confidence in His Father was not impaired by man's rejection.
The utterance bows to and accepts as fitting and good what seemed good in the Father's sight. It was spoken looking up to heaven in prayer with thanksgiving for the security of the covenant of redemption. In its setting it reveals God as both Lord of heaven and earth and a tender, loving, merciful Father.
Hiding and Revealing
It was good in the Father's sight to hide these things from the wise and prudent and to reveal them unto babes, and the verse bows to that good pleasure as governing what is revealed. The Father's choice to enlighten the humble rather than the self-assured is presented as fitting and pleasing to Him.
What is so hidden and revealed is the mysteries of the plan of redemption and the true character of the Father. False ideas about God had obscured His character, and the mission to make God known was reserved to Christ, to whom all things are delivered, so that no one knows the Father save the Son and he to whom the Son reveals Him. As Lord of heaven and earth He hides these mysteries from the wise and prudent while revealing them unto babes, and learning alone does not open salvation.
The wise and prudent are the learned, self-assured, and religiously positioned who rely on worldly wisdom, national exaltation, and religious exclusiveness. Priests and rabbis assured of their competency to teach and expound doctrine were ignorant of the Scriptures and the power of God. Though they studied the prophecies they failed to discover the proofs of the Messiah's advent, the manner of His coming, His mission and character, and while claiming wisdom they did not perceive that Christ was the Prince of life. They looked with suspicion and contempt on whatever lacked worldly display, because Christ's mission opposed narrow national exclusiveness, overthrew conceited formalism, and presented a complete harmonious salvation to reach to the ends of the earth, calling to purity of life, humility of spirit, and devotion to God without hope of worldly honor or reward. Understanding Christ's practical lessons is therefore not secured by learning or religious position alone.
The babes are those who receive truth simply, like children, humble and childlike and willing to be taught and obedient. It is living out the Word, rather than learning or position, that enables understanding of His lessons. Humility and obedience enable humble people to understand and explain Scripture, and God honors them with knowledge of His truth. What is hidden from the wise and prudent is thus revealed to the humble and receptive.
Spiritual understanding is received from God and spiritually discerned, not grounds for human pride, for what people have they have received.
Warning and Invitation
The verse belongs to a lesson directed to those who have received great light, precious opportunities, and wonderful privileges. It was applied as a warning to people who had been given much by God but had not grown spiritually in proportion to what they had received. Their spiritual growth and advancement are required to be in accordance with the blessings of the light and knowledge given to them.
It is Bible truth rebuking those who cling to hereditary and cultivated tendencies and plead for their own way. Such clinging shows they need reconversion and the converting power of God before they can be a blessing to others. Unless converted daily they will have continual warfare with self. They must fall upon the Rock and be broken. Yet there is hope for them if they heed Christ's invitation to come, take His yoke, and find rest.
From this thanksgiving He opens His heart of love and, looking past rejection and past priests and Pharisees, makes an offer of salvation to all the children of men. The offer is extended to rich and poor, high and low, learned and unlearned, presenting to all the inestimable gift of eternal life. All are invited to unite with God in the covenant of grace as a balm for all sorrow of sin and all disquietude of thought. The lowly are therefore encouraged because they can receive God's word.
Even so, Father, is Christ's thankful assent that it was fitting and good in His Father's sight, as Lord of heaven and earth, to hide the mysteries of redemption and the true character of God from the wise and prudent and to reveal them unto babes. He spoke it just after rebuking Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum for impenitence under the greatest light, declaring their judgment less tolerable than that of Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom, yet lifting Himself above sorrow at Israel's rejection to rejoice in spirit at the poor eagerly receiving Him. The wise and prudent are the learned, self-assured and religiously privileged who trust worldly wisdom and national exaltation and miss the Messiah's advent, mission and character, while the babes are the humble, childlike and obedient who are willing to be taught and live the Word, and to them God gives spiritual understanding that cannot be taken as ground for human pride. It is therefore a lesson and warning to those entrusted with great light and privilege that blessing requires growth, daily conversion, brokenness upon the Rock, and warfare with self and hereditary waywardness before they can bless others. From this thanksgiving He opens His heart of love past rejection to invite all, rich and poor, high and low, learned and unlearned, to come, take His yoke, enter the covenant of grace, and find rest and eternal life as the balm for sin and disquietude.
Setting and Wording
The words were spoken immediately after the rebuke of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum for not repenting though most of the mighty works were done in them, with a more tolerable judgment declared for Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom. They were uttered at the time of rejection by Israel amid abounding sin, when His own received Him not. He wept in sadness over people who turned from Him despite the plainest evidence of the divinity of His mission, hardening their hearts against Him and closing their eyes to the light.
Even then He lifted Himself above sorrow and painful thoughts of the result of their rejection to give thanks and rejoice in spirit. He beheld the poor of this world eagerly accepting His message. His confidence in His Father was not impaired by man's rejection.
The utterance bows to and accepts as fitting and good what seemed good in the Father's sight. It was spoken looking up to heaven in prayer with thanksgiving for the security of the covenant of redemption. In its setting it reveals God as both Lord of heaven and earth and a tender, loving, merciful Father.
Hiding and Revealing
It was good in the Father's sight to hide these things from the wise and prudent and to reveal them unto babes, and the verse bows to that good pleasure as governing what is revealed. The Father's choice to enlighten the humble rather than the self-assured is presented as fitting and pleasing to Him.
What is so hidden and revealed is the mysteries of the plan of redemption and the true character of the Father. False ideas about God had obscured His character, and the mission to make God known was reserved to Christ, to whom all things are delivered, so that no one knows the Father save the Son and he to whom the Son reveals Him. As Lord of heaven and earth He hides these mysteries from the wise and prudent while revealing them unto babes, and learning alone does not open salvation.
The wise and prudent are the learned, self-assured, and religiously positioned who rely on worldly wisdom, national exaltation, and religious exclusiveness. Priests and rabbis assured of their competency to teach and expound doctrine were ignorant of the Scriptures and the power of God. Though they studied the prophecies they failed to discover the proofs of the Messiah's advent, the manner of His coming, His mission and character, and while claiming wisdom they did not perceive that Christ was the Prince of life. They looked with suspicion and contempt on whatever lacked worldly display, because Christ's mission opposed narrow national exclusiveness, overthrew conceited formalism, and presented a complete harmonious salvation to reach to the ends of the earth, calling to purity of life, humility of spirit, and devotion to God without hope of worldly honor or reward. Understanding Christ's practical lessons is therefore not secured by learning or religious position alone.
The babes are those who receive truth simply, like children, humble and childlike and willing to be taught and obedient. It is living out the Word, rather than learning or position, that enables understanding of His lessons. Humility and obedience enable humble people to understand and explain Scripture, and God honors them with knowledge of His truth. What is hidden from the wise and prudent is thus revealed to the humble and receptive.
Spiritual understanding is received from God and spiritually discerned, not grounds for human pride, for what people have they have received.
Warning and Invitation
The verse belongs to a lesson directed to those who have received great light, precious opportunities, and wonderful privileges. It was applied as a warning to people who had been given much by God but had not grown spiritually in proportion to what they had received. Their spiritual growth and advancement are required to be in accordance with the blessings of the light and knowledge given to them.
It is Bible truth rebuking those who cling to hereditary and cultivated tendencies and plead for their own way. Such clinging shows they need reconversion and the converting power of God before they can be a blessing to others. Unless converted daily they will have continual warfare with self. They must fall upon the Rock and be broken. Yet there is hope for them if they heed Christ's invitation to come, take His yoke, and find rest.
From this thanksgiving He opens His heart of love and, looking past rejection and past priests and Pharisees, makes an offer of salvation to all the children of men. The offer is extended to rich and poor, high and low, learned and unlearned, presenting to all the inestimable gift of eternal life. All are invited to unite with God in the covenant of grace as a balm for all sorrow of sin and all disquietude of thought. The lowly are therefore encouraged because they can receive God's word.