Church Fathers Commentary Luke 10:21-22

"In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes: yea, Father; for so it was well-pleasing in thy sight. All things have been delivered unto me of my Father: and no one knoweth who the Son is, save the Father; and who the Father is, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal [him]." — Luke 10:21-22 (ASV)

Theophylact of Ohrid: As a loving father rejoices to see his sons do what is right, so Christ also rejoices that His Apostles were made worthy of such good things. Therefore, it says, In that hour, etc.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: He saw in truth that through the working of the Holy Spirit, which He gave to the holy Apostles, many would be brought to the faith. Therefore, He is said to have rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, that is, in the results that came forth through the Holy Spirit. As one who became man, He considered the conversion of sinners to be a cause for rejoicing, for which He gives thanks. As it follows, I give thanks to you, O Father.

The Venerable Bede: Confessing does not always signify penitence, but also thanksgiving, as is often found in the Psalms.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: Now here, say those whose hearts are perverted, the Son gives thanks to the Father as if He were inferior. But what should prevent the Son, who is of the same substance as the Father, from praising His own Father, who saves the world by Him? But if you think that because of His giving thanks He shows Himself to be inferior, notice that He calls Him His Father, and the Lord of heaven and earth.

Titus of Bostra: For all other things were created by Christ from nothing, but He alone was incomprehensibly begotten of His Father. Therefore, He is by nature the Father of the Only-begotten alone, who is a true Son. This is why He alone says to His Father, I give thanks to you, O Father, Lord, etc.—that is, I glorify you. Do not marvel that the Son glorifies the Father, for the whole substance of the Only-begotten is the glory of the Father. For both created things and the Angels are the glory of the Creator. But since these are far beneath His dignity, the Son alone, being perfect God like His Father, perfectly glorifies His Father.

St. Athanasius of Alexandria: We also know that the Savior often speaks as a man. For His divine nature has human nature joined to it, yet you would not, because He clothed Himself with a body, be ignorant that He was God. But what do they answer to this, who wish to invent a substance of evil and so create for themselves another god, other than the true Father of Christ? They say that he is unbegotten, the creator of evil and prince of iniquity, as well as the maker of the world's fabric. Now our Lord, affirming the word of Moses, says, I give thanks to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.

St. Epiphanius of Salamis: But a Gospel composed by Marcion has, “I give thanks to You, O Lord,” omitting the words “of heaven and earth,” and the word “Father,” so that it would not be supposed that He calls the Father the Creator of the heaven and the earth.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Lastly, He unveils the heavenly mystery by which it pleased God to reveal His grace to the little ones rather than to the wise of the world. Therefore, it says, That you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent.

Theophylact of Ohrid: The distinction may be that it says, the “wise,” meaning the Pharisees and Scribes who interpret the law, and the “prudent,” meaning those who were taught by the Scribes. For the wise man is the one who teaches, but the prudent man is the one who is taught. The Lord calls His disciples “babes,” whom He chose not from the teachers of the law, but out of the multitude, such as fishermen; “babes,” that is, as being without malice.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Or by a “babe” we should here understand one who knew nothing of exalting himself or of boasting in proud words about the excellence of his wisdom, as the Pharisees often do.

The Venerable Bede: He therefore gives thanks that He had revealed to the Apostles, as to “babes,” the mysteries of His coming, of which the Scribes and Pharisees were ignorant, who think themselves wise and are prudent in their own sight.

Theophylact of Ohrid: The mysteries, then, were hidden from those who think themselves wise but are not; for if they had truly been wise, these mysteries would have been revealed to them.

The Venerable Bede: He did not, then, contrast the wise and prudent with the dull and foolish, but with “babes”—that is, the humble—to show that He condemned pride, not intelligence.

Origen of Alexandria: For a sense of deficiency is the preparation for coming to perfection. For whoever, in the presence of what seems good, does not perceive that he lacks the true good, is deprived of the true good.

St. John Chrysostom: Now He does not rejoice and give thanks because the mysteries of God were hidden from the Scribes and Pharisees (for this would not be a cause for rejoicing, but for lamentation), but He gives thanks for this reason: that what the wise did not know, “babes” knew. Moreover, He gives thanks to the Father, with whom He does this, to show the great love with which He loves us. He then explains that the cause of this was first His own will and the Father's, who did this of His own will. As it follows, Even so, Father; for so it seemed good in your sight.

St. Gregory the Great: We receive these words as an example of humility, that we should not rashly presume to scrutinize the heavenly counsel concerning the calling of some and the rejection of others; for that which seemed good to the Just One cannot be unjust. Therefore, in all things arranged externally, the cause of the visible order is the justice of the hidden will.

St. John Chrysostom: But after He had said, I thank you that you have revealed them to babes, so that you would not suppose that Christ lacked the power to do this, He adds, All things are delivered to me by my Father.

St. Athanasius of Alexandria: The followers of Arius, not understanding this correctly, rage against our Lord, saying, “If all things were given to him, that is, the dominion of the creatures, there was a time when He did not have them, and so He was not of the substance of the Father. For if He had been, there would have been no need for Him to receive them.” But by this, their madness is all the more exposed. For if, before He had received them, the creation was independent of the Word, how will that verse stand, In him all things consist? But if as soon as the creatures were made, they were all given to Him, what was the need to give, since by Him all things were made?

The dominion over creation, then, is not what is meant here, as they think. Instead, the words signify the dispensation made in the flesh. For after man sinned, all things were thrown into confusion; the Word then was made flesh, so that He might restore all things. Therefore, all things were given to Him, not because He was lacking in power, but so that as Savior He should repair all things. Just as all things were brought into being by the Word at the beginning, so also when the Word was made flesh, He would restore all things in Himself.

The Venerable Bede: Or by the words, All things are delivered to me, He does not mean the elements of the world, but those “babes” to whom the Father, by the Spirit, made known the mysteries of His Son; and He was rejoicing in their salvation when He spoke these words.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Or, when you read “all things,” you acknowledge the Almighty, not a Son who is lower than the Father. When you read “delivered,” you confess the Son, to whom all things rightly belong by the nature of one substance, not as a gift conferred by grace.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: Now having said that all things were given Him by His Father, He rises to His own glory and excellence, showing that in nothing is He surpassed by His Father. Hence He adds, And no one knows who the Son is but the Father. For the created mind is not able to comprehend the nature of the Divine substance, which surpasses all understanding, and His glory transcends our highest thoughts. The Divine nature is known only by Itself.

Therefore, the Father knows the Son by that which He is, and the Son knows the Father by that which He is, with no difference intervening with regard to the Divine nature. For we believe that God exists, but what He is by nature is incomprehensible. But if the Son were a creature, how could He alone know the Father, or how could He be known only by the Father? For to know the Divine nature is impossible for any creature, but to know what each created thing is does not surpass all understanding, though it is far beyond our senses.

St. Athanasius of Alexandria: But though our Lord says this, it is clear that the Arians object, saying that the Father is not known by the Son. But their folly is obvious, as if the Word—who reveals the knowledge of the Father and of Himself to all people—did not know Himself. For it follows, And to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

Titus of Bostra: Now a revelation is the communication of knowledge in proportion to each person's nature and capacity; and when the nature is compatible, there is knowledge without teaching, but here, the instruction is by revelation.

Origen of Alexandria: He wishes to reveal as the Word, not without the use of reason; and as Justice, who rightly knows both the times for revealing and the measures of revelation. But He reveals by removing the opposing veil from the heart and the darkness which He has made His secret place. But since people of a different opinion think to build their impious doctrine on this—namely, that the Father of Jesus was revealed to the ancient saints—we must tell them that the words, To whomsoever the Son will reveal him, refer not only to the future, after our Savior said this, but also to the past.

But if they will not accept that this word “reveal” applies to the past, they must be told that it is not the same thing to know and to believe. To one is given by the Spirit the word of knowledge; to another faith by the same Spirit. Therefore, there were those who believed but did not know.

St. Ambrose of Milan: But so that you may know that just as the Son reveals the Father to whomever He wills, the Father also reveals the Son to whomever He wills, listen to our Lord's words, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood have not revealed it to you, but my Father who is in heaven.