Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 11:25-26

"At that season Jesus answered 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." — Matthew 11:25-26 (ASV)

Glossa Ordinaria: Because the Lord knew that many would doubt concerning the previous matter—namely, that the Jews would not receive Christ whom the Gentile world has so willingly received—He here answers their thoughts: And Jesus answered and said, I confess unto thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.¹

That is, Who makes heavenly, or leaves in earthliness, whomever You will. Or, it can be taken literally.²

St. Augustine of Hippo: If Christ, from whom all sin is far, said, “I confess,” then confession is not only for the sinner but sometimes also for one who gives thanks. We may confess either by praising God or by accusing ourselves. When He said, I confess unto thee, it means, “I praise You,” not “I accuse Myself.”³

St. Jerome: Let those who falsely argue that the Savior was not born but created hear how He calls His Father “Lord of heaven and earth.” For if He is a creature, and a creature can call its Maker “Father,” it was surely foolish here to address Him as “Lord of heaven and earth” and not of Christ as well.

He gives thanks that His coming has opened to the Apostles sacred mysteries which the Scribes and Pharisees did not know—they who seemed to themselves wise and understanding in their own eyes: That thou hast hid these things from the wise and understanding, and hast revealed them unto babes.

St. Augustine of Hippo: He Himself shows us that “the wise and understanding” are to be taken as the proud when He says, and hast revealed them unto babes; for who are “babes” but the humble?

St. Gregory the Great: He does not say “to the foolish,” but “to babes,” showing that He condemns pride, not understanding.

St. John Chrysostom: Or, when He says, “The wise,” He does not speak of true wisdom, but of that which the Scribes and Pharisees seemed to have by their speech. Therefore, He did not say, “And hast revealed them to the foolish,” but, “to babes”—that is, the uneducated or simple—teaching us in all things to keep ourselves from pride and to seek humility.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: The hidden things of heavenly words and their power are hidden from the wise and revealed to the babes—babes, that is, in malice, not in understanding. They are hidden from the wise because of their presumption of their own wisdom, not because of their wisdom itself.

St. John Chrysostom: That it is revealed to the one is a matter of joy; that it is hidden from the other is not a matter of joy, but of sorrow. He does not, therefore, rejoice on this account, but He rejoices that these have known what the wise have not known.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: The Lord confirms the justice of this by the sentence of the Father's will: that those who disdain to be made babes in God should become fools in their own wisdom. And therefore He adds, Even so, Father: for so it seemed good before thee.

St. Gregory the Great: In these words we have a lesson of humility: that we should not rashly presume to discuss the counsels of heaven concerning the calling of some and the rejection of others. This shows that what is willed by Him who is righteous cannot be unrighteous.⁴

St. Jerome: Moreover, in these words He speaks to the Father with the desire of one petitioning, that the mercy He began in the Apostles might be completed in them.

St. John Chrysostom: The things the Lord spoke to His disciples made them more zealous. Since they later thought highly of themselves because they cast out demons, He rebukes them here, for what they had received was by revelation, not by their own efforts.

The Scribes, who considered themselves wise and understanding, were excluded because of their pride. Therefore, He says, “Since on this account the mysteries of God were hidden from them, you must fear and remain as babes, for it is this humility that has made you partakers in the revelation.”

But just as when Paul says, God gave them over to a reprobate mind (Romans 1:28), he does not mean that God was the active cause, but that they themselves gave Him reason to do so. The same is true here with the words, Thou hast hid these things from the wise and understanding. And why were they hidden from them? Hear Paul speak: Seeking to set up their own righteousness, they were not subject to the righteousness of God (Romans 10:3).

1. non occ.
2. ord.
3. Serm., 67, 1
4. Mor. xxv, 14