Matthew 11:25-27 25At that time answering Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to little children; 26yes, Father, for such was pleasing before you. 27All things have been given over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
We get a brief glimpse into a short prayer of Jesus that transitions into a teaching moment for the disciples. The kingdom of heaven is simple to understand yet calls us to give our all in faith in Jesus. Those who are wise fail to see the kingdom because they base their wisdom on their own understanding. They interpret reality and purpose for life through humanism and misguided religiosity. True wisdom comes not from leaning on our own understanding but in trusting in God’s promises (Proverbs 3:5-6). God’s will is for us to come before him in simple faith. That does not mean we should not have critical thinking and evaluate ideas, but our thinking must always be sanctified in faith. Greatness is not measured in IQ but in faith.
Jesus shifts to proclamation in verse 27. He explains his sovereignty as Son, which adds further significance to his authority as the Immanuel and Messiah. The way to know the Father is to get to know the Son. Jesus as the Son of God is the only way to get to know the Father. God the Father is revealed through the actions of the Son. God cannot be discovered through science or human reason but only through revelation. Science and reason can confirm many things about God, but to know God in a personal and real way requires trusting in the revelation through Jesus. God reveals himself as Father and Son to those who are humble and have simple faith like a child. Both the smart and the simple find God in the same way. Jesus is the critical link.
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