Jesus had been in Galilee preaching, teaching and performing miracles. People had seen and heard him, and yet they still chose not to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. They failed to repent of their wrongdoings and misbeliefs.
In this passage, Jesus thanks God for having “hidden these things”, the power of
God, from people such as religious elites, who were self-sufficient or worldly. Jesus thanks God for keeping the truth from those who thought that they were smarter than anybody else.
Perhaps there was some arrogance among the people, those considered wise and understanding. Perhaps they overestimated their intelligence and wisdom. Perhaps Jesus didn’t meet their expectation of what a Messiah should be, look like or do, and
so they rejected him.
We can easily fall into these traps of trying to be independent, not needing others, being selfish and having an “I’m better than you” attitude. Even as believers, we need to guard ourselves against being pious, “holier-than-thou”, and thinking our faith is exclusive. These can be barriers to understanding God.
We learn
about God through humble faith and not intellectual capability. When we recognise our own spiritual needs and are willing to be taught by God, we will experience God’s grace, mercy and love.
How can you truly know God instead of just knowing about God?
In what areas of your life do you rely too heavily on your own knowledge or abilities?
How does Jesus' relationship with the Father inspire your prayer life?
