Matthew 11:25-27. Only through Jesus. Wednesday 15th Week

Breakfast With the Word Wednesday 15th Week Ordinary Time of the Year B

 

Matthew 11:25-27

 

All wisdom comes from God ( Proverbs 2:6-8), and Jesus is the wisdom par excellence. To humble ourselves and come to Him is the best decision. When we obey and be close to Him, we acquire wisdom. Wisdom is a gift of the Holy Spirit that comes only through Jesus. 

 

1. Matthew 11:25-27 begins with Jesus’ prayer to the Father. In all His prayers, He, first of all, calls God “Father” which is a sign of intimacy. He also teaches us to do the same ( Luke 11:1-13).

 Through His life, Jesus continues to teach us how to communicate with the Father intimately.

 

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When We Harden Our Hearts. Tuesday 15th Week Ordinary Time

 

The Love for Jesus Should Supersede

 

The Nature of Our Mission and the Ways to Succeed. 

 

The Mission is Full of Challenges

 

The Reasons We must Not Be Afraid

 

 

 

2. In the gospel, Jesus says that the Father has hidden these things from the wise and intelligent. What are these things?

 In Matthew 11:25-27, Matthew places this account after Jesus rebuked the cities He worked for refusal to repent, despite the miracles He did, and Luke places His own after the disciples came back rejoicing for the mighty deeds God works with them ( Luke 10). 

The disciples succeeded, unlike the cities Jesus worked. The disciples succeded because they receive instructions from Jesus, and they obeyed Him. 

The cities that hardened their hearts did not put His words into practice. They lack this closeness to Jesus that the disciples enjoyed over time. So, they harden their hearts. Hence, we can only know Jesus more when we come close to Him.

Therefore, these things that Jesus is talking about in Matthew 11:25-27 are His constant teachings to the disciples, healings, miracles, their closeness to Him and the ministry of touching souls. 

These things that the disciples learn from Him, and were able to do during their apostolate are hidden from those who think they are wise and learned.  

Also, the knowledge and wisdom they acquire through their closeness with Jesus are beyond what the Pharisees, Sadducees, the scribes etc., who are the learned at that time have and think they know.

 Peter once asks Him, “Lord to whom shall we go? Only you have the words of eternal life ( John 6:68). 

In essence, the secret of eternal life is only possible through Jesus. Only Jesus has the secret of eternal life. Only Jesus has the true knowledge of the kingdom of God. 

He then gives and teaches this freely to whoever comes close and listens to Him. 

Therefore, as the disciples are always close to Jesus and listen to Him, He gives this gift freely to the people who humble themselves to go before Him, remain close to Him and listen to Him. 

If we sincerely want our knowledge of God to increase, we have to spend time with the Lord. This special gift comes only through Jesus. 

If we need the grace to be effective in our work, we need Jesus. 

We need to know His word and put them into practice as the apostles did. It guarantees our success in our different callings, ministry and apostolate. Through Him, we receive inspiration, grace, strength and authority. Through Jesus, the apostles are successful in their apostolate, and through Him, we can too. 

 

 

 

3. Therefore, in Matthew 11:25-27, hidden from the wise and intelligent and revealed to mere children does not mean that none is wise among His followers. For example, Matthew is a tax collector and must be knowledgeable. 

Hence, Jesus compares them to mere children, because as little children do, the apostles always listen to Him. Like, little children, the apostles are always willing to know. Like, little children, they trust and obey whatever Jesus says. 

The apostles humble themselves and follow Jesus. They are always listening to whatever He says and also keeping to them, unlike the Pharisees.

 Like, little children, they wrap themselves around Him. Through this, Jesus gives them the power to forgive sins (John 20:22). Through this, He teaches them the secret of the Kingdom of God ( Matthew 13, Luke 13, Mark 4). Also, through this, they received the power to heal and cast out demons.

Therefore, the gifts of God come easy when we wrap ourselves around the Lord when we humble ourselves before God despite our academic knowledge. Such special gifts from God can only be possible only through Jesus. 

We need to wrap ourselves around Jesus often, listen to Him and obey His word. Let us always humble ourselves before Him. 

In Proverbs 22:4, God says that the reward of humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, honour and life. In Matthew 18:4, Jesus says that whoever then humbles himself as a child is the greatest in the kingdom of God. 

Therefore, such privilege that the apostles had by remaining close to Jesus is hidden from the wise and learned at that time. 

 In her Magnificat, Mary also praises God for exalting the humble and bringing down the proud ( Luke 1:52). It is good to humble ourselves before God, no matter how knowledgeable we think we are.

It is noteworthy that Fulton J Sheen has the habit of constant visitation to the Blessed Sacrament, and He ended up producing 73 inspiring books and more. 

But we allow what we know to affect our spirituality sometimes. Our knowledge should lead us to God and not away from Him. 

Secondly, how much we think we have studied extensively is different from how much we think we know God. Knowledge of God is a gift. This privilege is possible only through Jesus.

 

 

 

4. Everything is through Him, with Him and in Him. Every special gift is through His grace, love, inspiration, and blessings. Jesus knows the Father more than we do. 

It is the reason He says, ” no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.  

It is the reason we have to be very close to Him, for He does a lot for those who humbly come before Him.

 

May God bless you and help us to know Him more. May He never allow you to stumble, Amen.