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Gratitude For Divine Wisdom
“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. Yes, Father, such has been
your gracious will. 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.” Matthew 11:25–27
Jesus’ praise of the Father, as recorded in today’s Gospel, is
highly significant. Being both human and divine, His praise
originated in His divinity and was expressed through His human
nature as a perfect act of divine gratitude. This is significant
not only for Jesus, but also for us.
As human beings, we are incapable of performing divine acts or
attaining the perfection of divine gratitude unless God Himself
acts in and through us. Since Jesus’ divinity and humanity are
perfectly united in the one Person of the Son of God, He not only
offered the perfection of praise to the Father, He also elevated
human nature itself, enabling us to do the same in Him.
When we pray with Jesus as He says, “I give praise to you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,” we join in His perfect praise of the
Father for His divine wisdom and action in our lives. Our praise,
in union with Christ’s, is raised beyond mere emotional
thanksgiving. It becomes an all-consuming adoration of the Father
and a divinely inspired confession of Who He is and what He has
accomplished in us. This praise glorifies God and transforms us. No
prayer is more perfect or more consequential in our lives than to
give praise to the Father in union with the Son.
The cause for Jesus’ praise is also significant. His thanksgiving
is directed at the Father’s wisdom in both hiding and revealing
“these things.” In the Greek, the verbs for hiding and revealing
are strong and deliberate, emphasizing the dramatic contrast
between these two actions. From the “wise and learned,” the Father
hides these mysteries. The wise and learned, in this context, are
not necessarily those who possess education or intelligence, but
those who are self-reliant, proud in their intellectual strength,
and closed to divine mystery.
To the “childlike,” however, the Father reveals these things. The
word translated as “childlike” is literally “infants” or “babes” in
Greek, referring to those who are humble, open, and trusting—those
who recognize their absolute dependence on God. To be childlike is
not to be unintelligent; in fact, it implies a higher wisdom. True
intelligence is found in the comprehension of divine Wisdom, not
merely in worldly knowledge or human learning.
This divine wisdom stems from the gift of faith, which opens the
soul to deeper understanding. Saint Augustine captures this
beautifully when he says, “Understanding is the reward of faith.
Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe
that you may understand.” Humble, open, and trusting faith comes
first. From there, the gifts of Wisdom and Understanding are
granted.
This, then, is what Jesus refers to as “these things”: the sacred
mysteries of Divine Wisdom and Understanding. They are not
accessible to the proud or the self-sufficient, but are freely
given to those who approach the Father with the simplicity and
trust of spiritual childhood. And when they are granted, this is
the cause for Jesus to praise the Father and for us to join in that
praise.
Reflect today on your own disposition before God. Are you tempted
to approach Him with self-reliance, pride in your accomplishments,
or a desire to understand everything before believing? Or do you
come as a child—humble, trusting, and open to receive the mysteries
of grace? Seek the Wisdom and Understanding given to the childlike.
When they are bestowed, unite your voice to Jesus’ in offering
perfect praise to the Father. In that united praise, you will not
only glorify God but also be transformed by the very Wisdom you
adore.
Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, make me humble, simple, and
open to all that You wish to reveal. With Jesus, Your Son, help me
to recognize the bestowal of Your blessings—in my life and in the
lives of others. United with the one voice of Your beloved Son, may
I forever give You praise and thanksgiving. Jesus, I trust in
You.
Image: Jesus Goes Up Alone onto a Mountain to Pray, by James
Tissot
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