How to Know the Hidden Things of God
“At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.” Matthew 11:25
Jesus spent a lot of time preaching and teaching to the crowds, and regarding His human side, it must have been very exhausting, especially when many of the people in His audience did not believe Him. In order to remedy His weariness, He would turn His eyes toward heaven and pray to His Father. That is a good pattern to follow for all of us who become weary from our day-to-day work, problems, and responsibilities. Actually, it is also a pattern to follow when we are having a good day. Most of Jesus’ prayers began with thanksgiving. When we thank God, it is a form of praise and worship. Paul wrote in I Thessalonians 5:18, “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you”. Notice that he said, “In everything…” Even in the direst of circumstances, we can usually find something for which to be thankful.
What did Jesus specifically thank God for in His prayer? He thanked His Father because He had hidden “these things” from the wise and prudent but had revealed them to babes. What are “these things” to which Jesus refers? “These things” represent the truth of the good news that the infinite God of the Universe came in the person of Jesus Christ to set forth a plan of reconciliation by which man could be freed from the slavery of sin and be restored to a relationship with his Creator. Man was the one who walked away from God, and God was the One who made a way for man to return to Him. Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). This knowledge was hidden from the wise and prudent but revealed to babes who are those whose minds and hearts were open to the things of God. Those who are wise in worldly wisdom consider themselves to have open minds, but, in fact, their minds are closed with a self-imposed prejudice against God and spiritual matters. Southerners might say that they are “too big for their britches!”
Jesus wasn’t only speaking about the “too smart for their own good” folks of His day, but also about the multitudes of folks today who are endowed with a worldly intellect which should give them incentive to at least examine the reality of Jesus and the gospel and examine His words for veracity. However, their thought processes are immune to any doctrine that conflicts with their world view. It’s not that God has hidden the truth from the worldly folks as if He deliberately withholds the gospel from them. Quite the contrary. Paul wrote in I Timothy 2:4 that God “will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth”. God will reveal Himself to those who seek Him. The worldly “wise and prudent” do not seek God who requires repentance and obedience. They worship a god of their own making and assume that their “good” deeds will get them into heaven, if they even believe in heaven. Being blind to the truth is about the same as having the truth “hidden” from them.
As far as babes go, take the disciples, for example. None of them were ranked as the intellect. They were just ordinary folks, like you and me, just trying to earn a living and provide for their families when Jesus called them. In Acts 4;13, the people of Judah looked on Peter and John as “unlearned and ignorant men”. There is a distinct advantage to not being of those who are filled with worldly knowledge in that ordinary folks usually have more of an open mind to absorb the truths of God. Sometimes employment opportunities require a person with experience. But there are those employers who would rather hire someone whose head is not filled with all sorts of notions how things should be done in order that they can be taught particular methods and procedures of the prospective employer. The boss does not want to hear, “Well, this is how we did it at my old job”.
God does not ordinarily reveal Himself through worldly wisdom. He reveals Himself, His love, mercy, patience, the way of salvation, and His sovereign will to those who humbly receive Him, those who are teachable and willing to learn. These are the ones whom Jesus calls “babes”. A baby is born into the world with no pre-conceived notions, no prejudice or bias, and is completely moldable and teachable. Little ones are eager to learn and are very inquisitive. They take everything literally and are very trusting unless difficult circumstances influence them otherwise. Whatever Mama and Daddy tell them, they believe, thus it is imperative to teach them God’s truth.
David Roper, in his book, “Out of the Ordinary”, wrote, “Our Lord speaks to us in solitude. There He tells us eternal and infinite secrets. There our eyes begin to see what only He can see; there our ears begin to detect the subtle undertones of His voice”. When a believer has walked with Christ for many years, he or she will see things with a Biblical worldview. Things that happen are put into a godly perspective, that is, how they line up with scripture. When we humbly submit to the Lord, we are privileged to be the recipients of the hidden things of God. What we have in Christ is not to keep for ourselves, but to share with the unbelieving world. I don’t know about you, but I had rather know the truth than to be kept in the dark.