John Calvin 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)

Jesus answering. Though the Hebrew verb, answer (ענה), is frequently used even at the beginning of a discourse, yet in this passage I consider it to be emphatic, for it was from the present occurrence that Christ took the opportunity to speak. This is more fully confirmed by the words of Luke, that in the same hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit. From where did that rejoicing come? Was it not because the Church, composed of poor and despised persons, was viewed by Him as no less precious and valuable than if all the nobility and high rank in the world had lent to it their brilliance? Let it also be observed that the discourse is addressed to the Father, and consequently is marked by greater energy than if He had spoken to His disciples. It was on their behalf, no doubt, and for their sake, that He gave thanks to the Father, so that they might not be displeased with the low and humble aspect of His Church.

We are constantly looking for splendor, and nothing appears more incongruous to us than that the heavenly kingdom of the Son of God, whose glory is so magnificently celebrated by the prophets, should consist of the dregs and refuse of the common people. And truly it is a wonderful purpose of God that, though He has the whole world at His command, He chooses rather to select a special people for Himself from among the contemptible common folk, than from the nobility, whose high rank would have been a greater ornament to the name of Christ.

But here Christ withdraws His disciples from a proud and haughty imagination, so that they may not venture to despise that humble and obscure condition of His Church, in which He delights and rejoices. To restrain more fully that curiosity which is constantly springing up in the minds of men, He rises above the world and contemplates the secret decrees of God, so that He may lead others to unite with Him in admiring them. And certainly, though this appointment of God contradicts our senses, we discover not only blind arrogance but excessive madness if we murmur against it, while Christ our Head adores it with reverence.

I acknowledge to You, O Father.⁶⁰ By these words He declares His acquiescence in that decree of the Father, which is so greatly at variance with human senses. There is an implied contrast between this praise, which He ascribes to the Father, and the malicious slanders, or even the impudent railings, of the world. We must now inquire in what respect He glorifies the Father. It is because, while He was Lord of the whole world, He preferred children and ignorant persons to the wise.

It has no small weight, as connected with this subject, that He calls the Father Lord of heaven and earth; for in this manner He declares that it is a distinction which depends entirely on the will of God,⁶¹ that the wise remain blind, while the ignorant and unlearned receive the mysteries of the Gospel. There are many other passages of a similar nature, in which God points out to us that those who arrive at salvation have been freely chosen by Him, because He is the Creator and Governor of the world, and all nations are His.

This expression implies two things.

1. That all do not obey the Gospel arises from no lack of power on the part of God, who could easily have brought all creatures into subjection to His government.
2. That some arrive at faith, while others remain hardened and obstinate, is accomplished by His free election; for, drawing some and passing by others, He alone makes a distinction among men, whose condition by nature is alike.⁶²

In choosing little children rather than the wise, He has regard for His glory; for the flesh is too prone to rise, and if able and learned men had led the way, it would soon have become the general conviction that men obtain faith by their skill, industry, or learning. In no other way can the mercy of God be so fully known as it ought to be, than by making such a choice, from which it is evident that whatever men bring from themselves is nothing; and therefore human wisdom is justly thrown down, so that it may not obscure the praise of divine grace.

But it is asked, whom does Christ call wise? And whom does He call little children? For experience plainly shows that not all the ignorant and unlearned on the one hand are enlightened to believe, and that not all the wise or learned are left in their blindness. It follows that those are called wise and prudent who, swelled with diabolical pride, cannot endure to hear Christ speaking to them from above.

And yet it does not always happen that God reprobates those who have a higher opinion of themselves than they ought to have, as we learn from the instance of Paul, whose fierceness Christ subdued. If we come down to the ignorant multitude, the majority of whom display venomous malice, we perceive that they are left to their destruction equally with the nobles and great men. I do acknowledge that all unbelievers swell with a wicked confidence in themselves, whether their pride is nourished by their wisdom, or by a reputation for integrity, or by honors, or by riches.

But I consider that Christ here includes all who are eminent for abilities and learning, without charging them with any fault; as, on the other hand, He does not represent it to be an excellence in anyone that he is a little child. True, humble persons have Christ for their master, and the first lesson of faith is: Let no man presume on his wisdom. But Christ does not speak here about voluntary childhood. He magnifies the grace of the Father on this ground: that He does not disdain to descend even to the lowest and most despised, so that He may raise up the poor from the mire.

But here a question arises. As prudence is a gift of God, how does it happen that it hinders us from perceiving the brightness of God, which shines in the Gospel? We ought, indeed, to remember what I have already said: that unbelievers corrupt all the prudence which they possess, and that men of distinguished abilities are often hindered in this respect, because they cannot submit to be taught. But with respect to the present passage I reply: Though the sagacity of the prudent does not stand in their way, they may nevertheless be deprived of the light of the Gospel. Since the condition of all is the same or alike, why may not God take this or that person according to His pleasure? The reason why He passes by the wise and the great is declared by Paul to be, that

God hath chosen the weak and foolish things of the world to confound the glory of the flesh,
(1 Corinthians 1:27).

Hence we also infer that the statement made by Christ is not universal when He says that the mysteries of the Gospel are hidden from the wise. If out of five wise men four reject the Gospel and one embraces it, and if, out of an equal number of unlearned persons, two or three become disciples of Christ, this statement is fulfilled. This is also confirmed by that passage in Paul’s writings, which I recently quoted; for he does not exclude from the kingdom of God all the wise, and noble, and mighty, but only declares that it does not contain many of them.

The question is now solved. Prudence is not condemned insofar as it is a gift of God, but Christ merely declares that it has no influence in procuring faith. On the other hand, He does not recommend ignorance, as if it rendered men acceptable to God, but affirms that it does not hinder mercy from enlightening ignorant and unlearned men with heavenly wisdom.

It now remains to explain what is meant by revealing and hiding. That Christ does not speak of the outward preaching may be inferred with certainty from this circumstance: that He presented Himself as a Teacher to all without distinction, and enjoined His Apostles to do the same. The meaning therefore is that no man can obtain faith by his own acuteness, but only by the secret illumination of the Spirit.

⁶⁰ “Ie to ren graces, que tu as cache;” — “I thank thee, that thou hast concealed.”” — “I thank thee, that thou hast concealed.”

⁶¹ “Qu’il n’y a que le bon plaisir et vouloir de Dieu qui soit cause de ceste diversit,” — “that it is only the good pleasure and will of God that is the cause of this diversity.”,” — “that it is only the good pleasure and will of God that is the cause of this diversity.”

⁶² “Desquels tous la condition est semblable de nature;” — “of all of whom the condition by nature is alike.”;” — “of all of whom the condition by nature is alike.”