Luke 10:21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Additionally, they may be termed little ones due to their lack of kindness. The Pharisees and scribes, however, were not genuinely wise or intelligent but merely gave that impression. Thus, these sacred truths are hidden from those who seemed wise and prudent but were not. Had they truly been wise, the mysteries of the sacraments would have been revealed to them. Therefore, Father, I give thanks to You, for such was Your gracious will, reflecting Your desires and intentions.

What did our Savior express? ‘This spring that descended from heaven, this river of joy,’ we discern from the Scriptures. ‘In that hour, Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit,’ and said: ‘Whoever loves learning should approach the words of God with seriousness and ardor, for it is written, ‘Everyone who seeks will find.’ Therefore, let us reflect on this, particularly the meaning behind His ‘rejoiced in the Holy Spirit.’ The Holy Spirit flows from God the Father as the Source, yet is not alien to the Son. All the attributes of the Father are also with the Word, who is begotten of Him in essence and truth. Hence, Christ acknowledged that many came to faith through the Spirit’s work, which He granted to the worthy and designated as ministers of the divine message. He witnessed many miraculous acts performed through them and understood that the world’s salvation through Him, that is through faith, had already commenced; and thus He rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, insofar as He celebrated the wonders accomplished through the Spirit.

He appointed twelve disciples, whom He named apostles, as well as seventy others whom He sent ahead of Him into all the towns and cities of Judea to proclaim His message. He equipped them with apostolic authority and adorned them with the grace of the Holy Spirit. ‘And He conferred upon them power over unclean spirits to cast them out.’ Upon accomplishing many miracles, they returned exclaiming, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your Name!’ Consequently, as noted earlier, recognizing that those He had sent had brought many to faith, and that they had experienced His glory, He was filled with joy, or perhaps even exultation. Being benevolent and desiring the salvation of all, He found cause for joy in the transformation of those who had turned from Him, the enlightenment of the blind, and the recognition of His glory by those who lacked knowledge.

What then does He proclaim? ‘Father, I thank You, Lord of heaven and earth.’ The phrase ‘I thank You’ He expresses in a human manner, equivalent to ‘I acknowledge Your goodness,’ meaning ‘I glorify You.’ In divinely inspired texts, the term ‘confession’ is often used in this way. It is written, ‘They shall confess, O Lord, Your great name, for it is fearful and holy.’ Also, ‘I will praise You, O Lord, with all my heart, and will declare all Your wonderful deeds.’ Yet, I discern that the minds of those who are misguided remain entrenched in their depravity, and some may dispute with us by arguing, ‘Look, the Son expresses gratitude to the Father; does that not imply His inferiority?’ But he who is adept at elucidating the truth may respond thus: ‘What prevents the Son, who is equal in essence, from expressing thanks and glorifying the Father for the salvation offered to all humanity through Him? If you assume such gratitude denotes inferiority, observe that He calls the Father ‘Lord of heaven and earth.’ Certainly, the Son of Almighty God shares equally in lordship over all creation and is not inferior in essence, but as God of God, He is equally honored and possesses the right of essence and equality in all things.’

Let us then contemplate the words He directs to His Father concerning us: ‘You have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to children; yes, Father, for so it was Your good pleasure.’ The Father has unveiled to us the mystery concealed since before the foundation of the world—the Incarnation of the Only Begotten, foreshadowed before creation but disclosed in the last ages of the world. The blessed Paul states, ‘To me, the least of all saints, this grace was given, that I should proclaim among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the stewardship of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things.’ Thus, the profound mystery of our Savior was kept hidden prior to the world’s creation in the Father’s knowledge. Similarly, we were foreknown and predestined for adoption as sons. Blessed Paul further instructs us: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ, as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him, having predestined us in love for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself.’

So, to us as children, the Father has revealed a mystery that was silent for ages. Countless individuals before us, who were seemingly wise, held reputations for eloquent speech, style, and grand expression. Yet, as Paul stated, ‘They became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened; claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.’ For this they were given over to corrupted minds; ‘and God made the wisdom of this world foolishness, and has not revealed the mystery to them.’ It is also written for us, ‘If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise; for the wisdom of this world is folly with God.’ Hence, it is assuredly true that one who holds worldly wisdom appears foolish and unfathomable in God’s sight; conversely, one deemed foolish by the wise of the world, yet possessing in their mind and heart the light of divine truth, is truly wise before God. Paul reinforces this: ‘For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ lose its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and thwart the discernment of the discerning.’ Moreover, he also remarked, ‘For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth; but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise.’

To those who were perceived as foolish, signifying people with innocent and sincere minds, as simple as children in malice, the Father revealed His Son, who was Himself foreknown and predestined for adoption as a son. It seems unwise to overlook that the Scribes and Pharisees, esteemed within the Jewish community for their authority and status as law teachers, were regarded as wise. Yet they faced condemnation for not living up to the essence of that wisdom. The prophet Jeremiah once addressed them, saying: ‘How do you assert, We are wise, and the Lord’s word is with us? The false pen of the scribes has made it worthless. The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and taken captive, for they have rejected the word of the Lord.’ By rejecting the message of the Savior, the gospel—the word of God who became flesh for our salvation—they have strayed. Jeremiah even referred to them, declaring, ‘Let them be regarded as worthless silver, for the Lord has rejected them.’ Moreover, the mystery of Christ was concealed from them; He Himself remarked to His disciples, ‘To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.’ ‘To you,’ meaning whom? Clearly, to those who have believed; to those who have acknowledged His manifestation, who understand the law in a spiritual sense, who grasp the significance of prior prophetic revelations, recognizing Him as God and Son of God, to whom the Father has graciously revealed His Son. Through Him and with Him, unto God the Father be glory and sovereignty, with the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

He chose to forgo pride, humbly adding, 'But I have calmed and quieted my soul (Psalms 130:2).' Consider how noble this child was, how filled with virtue! The apostle encourages us to become like such children: 'If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, let him become foolish, so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight (1 Cor. 3:18-19).’

Then, Jesus turns His gaze toward His disciples, proclaiming to the multitudes that all authority has been entrusted to Him by His Father. God the Father has assigned all matters to Jesus Christ as the Redeemer of humanity, including the keys to resurrection and life, judgment and death. He alone possesses the full revelation of God the Father, which He can impart to whomever He chooses. Inviting all who labor and carry burdens of sin to come to Him, Jesus promises rest and fulfillment for their spiritual needs. He encourages them to embrace His commandments and follow Him as His disciples, contrasting His meekness and humility with the prideful hypocrisy of the Pharisees.

In exchange for their commitment, He assures them they will find true rest for their souls, as His yoke is easy and His burdens light—not like the heavy demands imposed by the Law of Moses. Finally, Jesus addresses His disciples directly, declaring blessed are their eyes for seeing what they see. This statement echoes the message found in the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus explains to His disciples why He teaches in parables. Together with Luke's account, this poignant declaration reinforces the unique role of Christ as the only one who fully knows the Father and is able to offer comprehensive comfort to those yearning for salvation.

While one might expect those well-versed in Scriptures to quickly grasp Christ’s teachings, no such true scholars existed among the Jews during Jesus' ministry. Instead, they were surrounded by scribes and Pharisees who regarded themselves as wise but had twisted their understanding to evade the law’s demands and oppress the people. This is why Jesus, witnessing a lack of genuine wisdom, predominantly among those yearning for salvation, declared, ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you revealed to babes what the wise had kept from themselves, for it was your good will.’

The impoverished to whom He delivered the Gospel, the blind whom He restored sight to, the sick whom He healed, and the lost whom He sought and saved—these individuals gathered around their Good Shepherd and Great Physician with heartfelt and exuberant gratitude. To all who are weary and burdened, He extended hope and blessings in every conceivable manner.

Luke offers a more precise transition from one narrative to another by stating “in that hour,” while Matthew uses a more general term, “at that time.” Additionally, Luke details the Lord’s physical movements, suggesting a greater precision in the account: “turning to the disciples, He said” after His declaration of praise, indicating a shift in focus to His followers. This distinction shows that, in one instance, He addressed both the seventy and the twelve disciples, while in the other, His remarks were directed solely to the twelve.