Matthew 11:25Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Sixth, He expresses gratitude for those who have faith; in this instance, the term "confessing" signifies giving thanks. He states, “I thank thee, because thou hast concealed these things from the wise and prudent." Does He take pleasure in their destruction or the fact that they failed to recognize the truth? Certainly not. The path to salvation lies in allowing those who scorn the offered teachings to choose their own way; should they choose to disregard His message, their rejection may ironically draw them closer to the Word. This also serves to heighten the carefulness of the listeners. The revelation of truth to some should bring them joy, while the hiding of it from others should evoke sorrow. This is akin to His lamentation over Jerusalem. He does not thrive on another’s misfortune, but instead rejoices that the truths hidden from the wise have been revealed to the humble. Similarly, when Paul remarks, “I thank God that although they were enslaved to sin, they obeyed from the heart and embraced the mold of doctrine” (Romans 6:17), he is not celebrating their prior bondage to sin but rather rejoicing in the grace they were shown. The Lord identifies the scribes and Pharisees as wise, not to commend them, but to encourage His disciples and illustrate how greatly the simple fishermen were endowed with blessings from which those learned men were excluded. However, when He refers to them as wise, it is not in the context of true wisdom, but rather the flawed wisdom they believed they possessed. Thus, He chooses to address not the foolish, but the innocent and straightforward, indicating that the Pharisees were disqualified not only by their unworthiness but also by divine justice. Through this, He instructs us to shun pride and ardently pursue humility. This aligns with Paul's later counsel: "If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age he must become foolish so that he may become wise" (1 Corinthians 3:18). Herein lies the manifestation of God's grace! But why does He express gratitude to the Father if He is the one acting? Just as He intercedes for us out of His immense love in other instances, He does so here, and this acknowledgment reflects His profound affection. He also indicates that the Pharisees have not merely strayed from Him but have also distanced themselves from the Father. Thus, He preemptively fulfilled what He instructed His disciples: “Do not give what is holy to dogs” (Matthew 7:6). See Matthew 11:26.

If you think that His act of confession somehow diminishes Him below the Father, consider this: He confesses and refers to His Father as Lord of heaven and earth. The Son of God, who reigns over all, shares full sovereignty with the Father, not as inferior or separate, but as God from God, adorned with equal glory and genuinely equivalent to the Father in every aspect."

Indeed, often when Scripture declares, 'Praise the Lord' (1 Chron. 16:8), many among the listeners respond by striking their breasts, unaware that confession should encompass more than the usual expressions of penitence and the desire for reward from God; rather, it should reflect on what He, in His grace, chooses to grant us. For had there not been an element of glorification in His acknowledgment, the Lord would not have proclaimed, I glorify Thee, Father, even though He had no sins to confess. Another passage of Scripture emphasizes this: Praise the Lord (1 Chron. 16:8). Thus, in your confession, you should proclaim, All the works of the Lord are very good (Sir. 39:21). Here, we find a confession of praise, devoid of reproach.

"I confess Thee, Father, Sovereign of heaven and earth." It's important to recognize that the term 'confession' is employed in a context of honoring God. The Lord had no sins to acknowledge, as highlighted by another Gospel writer who notes that He spoke these words in a spirit of joy (Luke 10:21). Therefore, there should be no doubt regarding the intent behind His words—they are indeed a praise directed toward God. Scripture broadly defines confession as anything that is openly declared because it is revealed. For instance, when it states, 'If anyone acknowledges Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before My Father' (Matt. 10:32), or similarly, 'before the angels of God' (Luke 12:8), it indicates that the individual who honors Christ is not merely confessing sins. While some might argue this term arose due to the stigma of Christ’s name during periods of persecution, can it truly be said that Christ similarly acknowledges before His Father or the angels a person who merely acknowledges themselves? In the writings of Jesus, son of Sirach, it is precisely mentioned, 'And these things declare in praise, all the works of the Lord, for they are exceedingly good' (Sirach 39:20-21). This clearly elevates the honor due to God. Such misunderstandings arise from the ignorance of the brethren who, upon hearing this word in the Scripture readings, instinctively strike their chests, failing to consider the broader context and assuming confession can only pertain to the acknowledgment of sins.

It can also convey encouragement, as seen when Peter asked, ‘Explain this parable to us’ (Matthew 15:15). At times, the response may seem superfluous, as in Peter’s assertion, ‘If all men shall forsake you, I will never forsake you’ (Matthew 26:33). Mark conveys this differently: Peter merely spoke to Him, without the phrase ‘having answered and said’ (Mark 14:29). It can also denote a questioning aspect: Jesus replied, ‘Have I not chosen you twelve?’ (John 6:70). In this context, He refers to acknowledgement as gratitude; the wise and learned - the scribes and Pharisees, perceived as such by the people; and infants - the apostles, due to their humility and innocence. He expresses gratitude, saying, because You have hidden the truths of faith from the wise and learned and revealed them to little ones who accept them. Through His thanksgiving to the Father, He confirms His identity as the Son sent by Him and demonstrates His profound love for the believers by offering this gratitude on their behalf. Likewise, He expressed thanks to God for the seventy disciples upon their return, as noted by Luke.

This recognition arose not predominantly from intellectual reasoning but from a heartfelt conviction, pure and sincere, akin to the trust of children. Interestingly, genuinely wise individuals, well-versed in the Scriptures, would have been able to grasp the essence of Christ and His message more swiftly than the uncomplicated folk; however, in the time of Jesus, there were no such discerning figures among the Jews—only scribes and Pharisees who proclaimed their wisdom while cleverly distorting the truth to evade the stringent demands of the law, thus burdening the Jewish populace. For this reason, observing the absence of true wisdom around Him and the presence of those seeking salvation, Jesus exclaimed, ‘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.’

- "Of the wise and intelligent": referencing those who deem themselves wise and knowledgeable, lacking true understanding, but only possessing worldly, misguided wisdom; these are the false sages, false scholars, and essentially, anyone who does not genuinely embody wisdom and intelligence (1 Cor. 1:26-27). Likely, this addresses the scribes and Pharisees in particular, who commonly perceived themselves and were admired by the populace as wise and prudent (refer to Jn. 9:40. Chrysostom, ‘Theophilus’). - "Infants": those who are naive as children, who have not acquired knowledge from men and have not attended the Jewish scribal schools. This primarily pertains to the apostles of Christ, who were unlearned and humble, akin to infants. To them, the secrets of the kingdom were disclosed; they embraced and proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom, while the so-called wise and learned not only rejected this gospel but also actively obstructed others from accepting it and persecuted its messengers. The term "withheld" does not imply that God was the cause of this situation, but rather it is expressed in a manner similar to Paul's words: "God gave them over to a depraved mind" (Romans 1:28), allowing their thoughts to be blinded, not suggesting a divine causative role, but attributing the outcomes to humans who bring them about. ... Why was it kept from them? Paul states, "seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to the righteousness of God" (Romans 10:3). ... What does this mean? Does He take pleasure in their downfall and their failure to recognize Him? Certainly not; rather, the path to salvation is that those who scorn the offered doctrine and deny its acceptance should not be coerced into belief (Chrysostom, cf. Theophilus). - "Such is Thy good pleasure": this reflects Thy divine will, demonstrating Thy purpose; Thou who art all-wise, orchestrating everything toward the best, sometimes in a manner that may appear misguided to the world. While it may seem odd to humanity that the mysteries of the kingdom are unveiled not to the learned and wise, but to the simple-minded, such is Thy will, and ultimately, the world will recognize the wisdom in Thy plan.