"At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do."
Gospel of Matthew
This beautiful reading from the Gospel of Matthew chapter 11 is one that is often read at funerals. The subtitle of this particular Gospel is, "Jesus the revealer". The main reason for this is because Jesus praises God for revealing to little children what has been hidden from wise and learned.
Children or little ones, according to Jesus' terminology, are the ones who best seem to be able to understand matters of faith and the wisdom that flows from God.
The important thing in this Gospel reading is not an intellectual understanding of its content, but how it speaks to your heart. Do you see yourself as the "little one" who is able to see the greater vision of God as revealed by Christ? Do you experience being called to live out your life in a certain way in response to that revelation? If you do, then you have a greater understanding of the scripture than that of a biblical scholar who understands only its content.
The language of this Gospel reading is very similar to many of the passages found John's Gospel. My personal response to it is very similar to my response to the story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well. It is challenging, but invitational. It solicits a response, not intellectual understanding.
In the continuation from Matthew's Gospel above we read: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
We are invited to let our burdens go and trust in the Lord. It's an invitation to surrender, an action that we often have difficulty in doing. Surrendering to what? Placing ourselves into the hands of the mystery - trusting in Providence - letting go of the tight control over the events of our life - living in the present moment. When we do this, then God becomes very real to us. We discover God by faith, who not only brings peace and harmony to our lives, but allows us to make sense of all that is going on around us.
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