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Praying to the Father in the Son
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 little
ones. 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
This passage beautifully summarizes the entire Christian life—the
life to which we are called and in which we find our purpose,
meaning, and ultimate fulfillment. Jesus begins by offering praise
to the “Father, Lord of heaven and earth.” Though Jesus Himself is
fully God, “one in being with the Father”—co-eternal and
consubstantial—He nevertheless offers praise to the Father.
In the original Greek, the phrase “I give praise to you…”
(exomologoumai) indicates an open, public, and full acknowledgment
by the Son of the Father’s sovereignty and gracious will. The
Father is the All-Powerful Lord of all that exists—everything in
the heavens and on earth. Jesus expresses this fundamental stance
toward the Father for two reasons: first, because it is eternally
true; and second, so that we might humble ourselves and join Him in
praying the same prayer—through, with, and in Jesus.
This prayer closely parallels the opening of the Lord’s Prayer (the
“Our Father”), because both begin with a direct acknowledgment and
praise of the Father’s holiness and sovereignty. The Lord’s Prayer
is the perfect prayer precisely because it was given to us by Jesus
Himself. After addressing the Father, it presents seven petitions.
According to Saints Thomas Aquinas and Augustine, the first two
petitions—“hallowed be Thy name” and “Thy Kingdom come”—reveal the
central purpose of our lives: to glorify God eternally and to be
caught up in, and actively participate in that glory by becoming
full members of His Kingdom. In today’s prayer, Jesus says “these
things” have been revealed “to little ones” and that the Son can
choose to reveal the Father to whom He wishes.
We are drawn into Jesus’ prayer and intimate relationship with the
Father precisely when Jesus reveals the Father to us: “No one knows
the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to
reveal him.” Because Jesus deeply desires that we come to know and
love the Father with the same love He has for Him, His prayer
continues by gently inviting us—especially when burdened by
weariness, weakness, or sin—to lay our burdens down before His
merciful power and glory: “Come to me, all you who labor and are
burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
This tender invitation reveals Jesus’ deepest desire for us: that
we would enter into His love for the Father, share intimately in
the union between Father and Son, and thus magnify and glorify the
Most Holy Trinity—not only in our earthly journey but eternally in
Heaven. Indeed, what a sublime and glorious calling we have
received!
Reflect today upon this beautiful prayer, knowing in your heart
that Jesus Himself invites you to pray it with Him, through Him,
and in Him. He longs for His voice to resonate within your voice,
His love to beat within your heart, and His holy desires to shape
your own. Turn your gaze toward the Father—He who is both the
Source and ultimate goal of your existence—and strive lovingly and
humbly to accomplish all things according to His gracious and holy
will.
Our Father, You who dwell in the heavens and within the souls of
Your sanctified ones, may Your eternal essence, Your holy Name—the
One who was, who is, and who is to come, the Great I AM—be honored,
praised, and glorified forever. May this glorification shine forth
in my life and in the lives of all Your faithful, as we await with
joyful hope the return in glory of Your Son, Jesus our Savior, when
You, together with Him and the Holy Spirit, will establish the New
Heavens and the New Earth. Jesus, I trust in You.
Image: Christ with Children by Lawrence OP, CC BY-NC-ND
2.0.
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