Matthew the apostle shared how Jesus began, “to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Woe unto you, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And you, Capernaum, which are exalted unto heaven, shall be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in you, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you”, and in chapter eleven and verse twenty-five of his book, Matthew shared how Jesus said, “you have hid these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them unto babes” where we read:
At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hid these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them unto babes.
The verse reads, “ At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, ...” Matthew began with the words, “at that time” which means “in due measure and at an opportune or seasonal time” “Jesus” whose name means “Jehovah is Salvation” and is “the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate” “answered” which means “began to speak” “and said” which means “uttered, proclaimed and declared”, “I thank you” or “Jesus was grateful, professed, celebrated and acknowledged openly and joyfully”, “O Father” which means “the one whom God has united to himself in the closest bond of love and intimacy, made acquainted with his purposes, appointed to explain and carry out among men the plan of salvation and made to share also in his own divine nature”, “Lord” or “he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master and the title given to God the Messiah” “of heaven” which means “belonging to the region above the sidereal heavens, the seat of order of things eternal and consummately perfect where God dwells and other heavenly beings” “and earth” or “and the arable land, territory and country”. Matthew shared how Jesus began to pray and give “thanks” to His “Father” who is “Lord” over both “heaven and earth”.
The verse continues, “... because you have hid these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them unto babes.” Matthew added the word, “because” which means “since and on account that” “you have hid” or “the Heavenly Father God has concealed and kept secret” “these things” which means “the things of the kingdom of heaven” “from the wise” or “apart from the skilled, expert, cultivated and learned” “and prudent” which means “the intelligent, understanding and learned”, “and have revealed” or “have uncovered, laid open bare, made known, manifested and disclosed what before was unknown” “unto babes” which refers to “to infants, childish, untaught and unskilled”. Matthew shared how Jesus gave thanks to His Father in heaven because He kept things of His Kingdom from people who were “intelligent and experts” and exposed them to those who were “childish and untaught”.
When we think through Matthew's words in this verse, we see Jesus in a moment of praise to His Father in Heaven because God chose to expose His great truths of the Kingdom to the “unskilled and childish” rather than those who are “intelligent”. God made the gospel of Jesus Christ simple so that everyone, regardless of their intellectual prowess, shall be able to understand and receive Him as “Savior and Lord”. Those who are too “intelligent” to receive Him are actually the less informed because Jesus came to “save” people from their “sin” that separated them from God. Those who are “wise” in the Lord will accept God's great plan of “salvation”, and those who are too “smart” to receive Him shall never know the greatness and wonder that can be found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Next time Matthew shares how Jesus declares, “even so, Father: for so it seemed good in your sight”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
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Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
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