“Still to the lowly soul
He doth himself impart,
And for his dwelling and his throne
Chooseth the pure in heart”
-Percy Dearmer
1. Jesus is not condemning the intellectual power but intellectual pride. A. Plumner says “The heart, not the head is the home of the gospel” It is not cleverness which shuts out, it is pride. It is not stupidity which admits; it is humility.
2. The wise here refers to scribes and Pharisees who reject Jesus. It can also include others like the inhabitants of the un-repented cities.
3. Infants here means simple minded, uneducated, shepherds and in particular Jesus’ disciples who hear him and perceive his significance. They are referred to as little ones because of their lack of social standing and expertise in religious matters.
4. Jesus makes three claims to having a special relationship with God.
• My father has given me authority over everything: It explains shared knowledge. There is no secret between Father and the Son.
• No one really knows the son except the Father: In the Old Testament, knowing meant more than knowledge, it implied intimate relationship.
• No one knows the Father except the son: For anyone else to know God, God must reveal Himself to that person, by the son’s choice. People can approach God only through Jesus.
5. Those to whom the son chooses to reveal him can also participate in this divine intimacy with the Father.
Pride could be too dangerous and its effect is that of the slow poisoning. There is no reason for anyone to be pride after all we have received everything from the Lord at free of cost. We should be grateful to Jesus for having chosen us to reveal the Father through Baptism and other sacraments. The moment we are engulfed by Pride our visions will be blurred and eventually we will never be able to participate in the divine intimacy with the Father.
Courtesy
Hermeneia – A critical and historical Commentary on the Bible
Sacra Pagina Series
Life Application Bible Commentary
Holmans’ Commentary on the New Testament
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