Readings: Isaiah 10:5-7,13-16, Ps. 94:5-10,14-15, Matthew 11:25-27
“Shall the axe vaunt itself over him who hews with it, or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it?” (Isaiah 10:15)
Today’s Gospel passage contains a prayer that Jesus addressed to the Father. It is a prayer of thanksgiving. Jesus thanks God for hiding His Kingdom’s mysteries from the wise and understanding and revealing them to infants. Who are the infants Jesus refers to, and what does this statement teach us about God’s kingdom?
- God’s kingdom appears mysterious, yet children can easily understand it. To the “wise”, God’s kingdom is hidden, but to infants, God’s kingdom is clear and simple. This is because God’s kingdom goes beyond logic. To make sense of God’s kingdom, you must be able to think like a child. No wonder Jesus said: “Let the children come to me and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” (Luke 18:16-17).
- What is it about children that makes them easily understand the mysteries of God’s kingdom? As a child, I never doubted God. It was very easy to believe everything I was told. The biblical stories made sense to me because I could see their lessons. Even though I had no evidence, I never asked: “Did that really happen?” The stories were real to me as long as I could imagine them. We must have this attitude about God’s kingdom: a deep sense of humility, the willingness to learn, never claiming to know more than one’s teacher, and a readiness to follow instructions to the letter with a sense of trust in God.
- For instance, today’s psalm sings: “The Lord will not abandon his people.” For many today, it is either there is no God, or He has already abandoned them, but to one who approaches God with a childlike attitude, this statement is worth holding on to. If you have difficulty trusting God amid life challenges, you have become the “wise and understanding” Jesus refers to. You need to become a child again and fully surrender to God. Be assured that no matter how tough things are, God has not and will never abandon you. When the Egyptians pursued the Israelites to the Red Sea, they thought they had met a dead-end. They panicked because they didn’t know God had plans for them.
- In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus made this statement immediately after the seventy returned from the mission of evangelization. “The seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!’… In that same hour, he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will.’ (Luke 10:17-21). In other words, ‘infants’ in this context refers to Jesus’ disciples for their trust and obedience, or, better put, because of their childlike approach to God. Meanwhile, despite their knowledge of the scriptures, the scribes and Pharisees were left in the dark; they saw God in human flesh but did not recognize Him. Hence, Jesus called them blind (cf. John 9:39-41)
- In today’s first reading, the prophet Isaiah asks, “Can the axe exult itself over the one who uses it?” or “Will the saw consider itself greater than the man who cuts with it?” By assuming we can do without God, we become like the axe who thinks it is stronger than the person using it. Isn’t it foolish for the instrument to claim superiority over its maker? Yet, this is what becomes of us when we try to understand God without childlike humility. This is what becomes of us when we boast of our abilities, forgetting that we are nothing without God.
Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, free us from the spirit of pride and deepen our sense of humility. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Wednesday of week 15 in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: Isaiah 10:5-7,13-16, Ps. 94:5-10,14-15, Matthew 11:25-27).
@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu