Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Matthew 11:25

"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:" — Matthew 11:25 (ASV)

“At that time” loosely joins this section with the immediate context. Matthew assumes that there has been some success in the mission of Jesus (and the disciples), but he draws a sharp antithesis between the recipients of such revelation and the “wise and learned” who, like the inhabitants of the cities just denounced, understand nothing.

Here Jesus addresses God as “Father” and “Lord of heaven and earth.” These are particularly appropriate titles—the former indicating Jesus’ sense of sonship and preparing for v.27, the latter recognizing God’s sovereignty over the universe and preparing for vv.25–26. God is sovereign, free to conceal or reveal as he wills.

Many restrict the “wise and learned” to the Pharisees and teachers of the law, but the context implies something broader. Jesus has just finished pronouncing woes on “this generation” (v.16) and denouncing entire cities (vv.20–24). These are the ones from whom the real significance of Jesus’ ministry is concealed. The contrast is between those who are self-sufficient and deem themselves wise and those who are dependent and love to be taught.

For revealing the riches of the good news of the kingdom to the one group and hiding it from the other, Jesus utters praise to his Father. We must not think of God’s concealing and revealing as symmetrical activities arbitrarily exercised toward neutral human beings who are both innocent and helpless in the face of the divine decree. God is dealing with a race of sinners (cf. 1:21; 7:11) to whom he owes nothing. Thus to conceal “these things” is not an act of injustice but of judgment. The astonishing thing is that those who pride themselves in understanding divine things are judged, whereas those who understand nothing are taught. The predestination pattern is the counterpoint of grace.