Matthew 11:25-30
²⁵At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. ²⁶Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.
²⁷All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
²⁸”Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
²⁹Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Devotional
Praise to the Lord!
Literally Jesus says here that He fully agrees with the Father.
The word “praise” is translated from Ἐξομολογοῦμαί (Exomologoumai) which means: “to acknowledge” or “to agree fully”.
Jesus spoke horribly harsh words about the cities in which He had performed His miracles. Words of judgment. ‘Woe to you! (Matthew 11:20-24).
Jesus had sought the people, but they did not want.
That must have been terribly disappointing for Him.
The King who wants to give His peace to his people is rejected by His own people.
Yet Jesus agrees fully with the Father, on how He does things.
Those who follow Jesus is a strange group of people.
Not a group of people you will easily be proud of.
The people who are in count generally do not belong to it (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29).
People who are impressed with themselves do not fall at Jesus’ feet.
To children, and to adults who become like a child, God reveals His great gift of Jesus (See Matthew 18:1-5). And Jesus fully agrees with that.
Imagine that only by great effort of the mind God’s Kingdom could be known!
Or imagine if you had to have good connections with people who rule this world!
But luckily it isn’t like that!
Everyone has access to the Father.
▪︎ Children,
▪︎ mentally handicapped,
▪︎ rejected and discarded people,
▪︎ for factory workers,
▪︎ WAO-ers,
▪︎ intellectuals and ministers …
if only they will receive God.
For people with good positions in this world, God’s Kingdom is often not interesting.
How is it in the church of today?
Is it a congregation of children?
Sometimes it seems,
▪︎ that first the children’ have been chased out of the church by decent people,
▪︎ after which these decent people themselves have turned their backs on the LORD.
Yet that is not all that can be said of the church.
Jesus is still there!
He invites, “Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). That invitation is still valid today!
And everyone who entrusts himself to Him will find it: with Him is rest, with Him it is good (Matthew 11:29,30).
Question
- What does it mean to be a child?
Prayer Suggestion
- Thank God that He has revealed His love in Jesus.
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