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At that time Jesus exclaimed: “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.” Matthew 11:25
This passage is in stark contrast to the passage just before it in
which Jesus chastised the towns of Chorazin, Bethsaida and
Capernaum for not repenting and believing in Him. And as soon as
Jesus issued those rebukes, He turned His eyes to Heaven and
offered praise to the Father for revealing the hidden mysteries of
the Kingdom of Heaven to those who were “childlike.”
One of the greatest threats to a pure and childlike faith is
intellectual pride. Those who consider themselves as “wise and
learned” are often tempted to rely upon their own reasoning
abilities to come to conclusions and beliefs in life. The problem
is that even though the matters of our faith are fully reasonable,
they go beyond the conclusions that human reason alone can achieve.
We cannot figure out God by ourselves. We need the gift of faith
for that, and the gift of faith begins with a spiritual
communication from God through which He reveals to us Who He is and
what is true. Only the childlike, meaning, those who are humble,
are able to hear this form of communication from God and
respond.
This passage also reveals to us that Jesus passionately rejoices in
this form of humble faith. He gives “praise” to the Father in
Heaven for witnessing such faith, because Jesus knows that this
form of faith originates from the Father.
In your life, it is important that you regularly ponder whether you
are more like the wise and learned or like those who are childlike.
Though God is an infinite and incomprehensible mystery, He must be
known. And the only way we can come to know God is if He reveals
Himself to us. And the only way God will reveal Himself to us is if
we remain humble and childlike.
As we come to childlike faith, we must also imitate the praise that
Jesus offered the Father for the faith that He witnessed in the
lives of His followers. We, too, must turn our eyes to those who
clearly manifest this pure knowledge of God by the gift of faith.
As we see this faith lived, we must rejoice and offer praise to the
Father. And this act of praise must be given not only when we see
faith alive in others, it must also be given when we see the gift
of faith grow within our own soul. We must foster a holy awe of
what God does within us, and we must rejoice in that
experience.
Reflect, today, upon Jesus giving praise to the Father as He
witnesses the faith born in the hearts of His followers. When Jesus
looks at you, what does He do? Does He issue chastisements? Or does
His Sacred Heart rejoice and give praise for what He sees. Give joy
to the Heart of Christ by humbling yourself to the point that you,
too, are counted among the childlike who truly know and love
God.
My rejoicing Lord, You are attentive to the workings of grace in
every human heart. As You see the Voice of the Father speaking to
Your children, You rejoice at such a sight. Dear Lord, I pray that
my own heart will be the cause of Your joy and Your praise of the
Father in Heaven. Please speak to me and help me to believe with
all my heart. Jesus, I trust in You.
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Featured image above: Jesus Goes Up Alone onto a Mountain
to Pray By James Tissot, via Wikimedia Commons
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