14th Sunday - A

Commentary

Matthew 11: 25 – 30

The Father’s Gracious Will

By this point in Matthew’s account of Jesus’ life and ministry, Jesus has encountered opposition from the religious leaders of the time.  In Chapter 9, they questions Jesus when he tells a paralytic that his sins are forgiven.  They also challenge Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners.  These leaders are regarded, and probably see themselves, as “the wise and learned.”  

And immediately prior to these verses, Jesus has called Capernaum to task for its pride, “As for you, Capernaum: ‘Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.’” (11: 23)

It is the “gracious will” of the Father that the Son reveals the Father not to the wise and learned, our the proud, but to the little ones.

The word gracious comes from the word grace, which Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online defines as, “the unmerited gift of divine favor.”

Let’s spend a little time reflecting on what Jesus is telling us:

It is the Father’s gracious will that Jesus came to reveal God to us, the little ones.