Those who receive God

"[Jesus said] : I praise you, O Father of heaven and earth, because you have hid these things from the wise and the wise, and have revealed them to the little ones." Matthew 11. 25

The "things" Jesus speaks of are the information he sends to John the Baptist in prison : "The blind receive their sight... and the gospel is announced to the poor" (Matt 11: 4-6). In the face of the incredulity he encounters, Jesus gives thanks to his Father, for he hides these things from those who trust in their understanding and "reveal them to little children", those who are ready to believe him. Two scenes from the gospel illustrate these attitudes.

1st scene (Matthew 2) : Herod questions the chief priests and scribes about the birthplace of Jesus ; they answer him : "in Bethlehem of Judea" (Matt.5: 5) and they quote without hesitation their source : the prophet Micah (5: 2). But they do not even think to inquire more about the request of Herod which is "troubled and all Jerusalem with him" by the words of the wise men from the East (2. 3). These prominent Jews boast of their position but have no real interest in the Messiah they claim to be waiting for.

2nd scene (John 9) : A born blind man, healed by Jesus on a Sabbath, is harassed by the same Pharisees. They question him and rebel against the pseudo violation of the Sabbath. Emboldened, the blind man replies : "What is strange is that you do not know where he is from, while he opened my eyes ! If he was not of God, he could do nothing "(v.30, 31). In anger, the Pharisees insult him and drive him out of the synagogue, imposing excommunication on him (v.34).

It was then that Jesus found him and said to him : "Do you believe in the Son of God ? And he said, Who is he, Lord, that I believe in him ? Jesus said to him :... He who speaks with you is him. He said : I believe, Lord ! And he paid homage to him" (v.35-38).

Do not these examples illuminate what Jesus means when he speaks of "hiding" and "revealing" ? His person is hidden from the Pharisees imbued with their knowledge, but it is revealed to this blind man willing to believe him who healed him.

Source (Pleasing the Lord)