No one knows the Father except the Son

It is the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time and today we are still under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), which means our churches are still closed and therefore we hear our Masses through live streaming over television. I can only feel sorry for those who are not tech savvy for they cannot participate in the Mass, except perhaps through radio. Anyway, today’s Gospel reading is regarding the Praise of the Father by our Lord Jesus Christ that you can read in Matt.11: 25-30.

“25 At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

* * *

Let me point out that today’s gospel reading is from the very words of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is broken into two parts. In the first part, he declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

What we can decipher from his words is that this is a sharp contrast to the wise and learned, that our Lord Jesus alone is in a position to declare exactly what God is like. The Father has given Jesus the sole prerogative of revealing him, so anyone who approaches God a different way will not find him. This is why we accept that our Lord Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life!

As our Lord said, “that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children.” By this, the Lord reveals them to little children or "infants," but applied figuratively in Greek to the helpless in general, the "little ones” who 2,000 years ago were not even counted in Jewish society. If you recall in the feeding of the five thousand, this number did not include women and children for they were not given a real status at that time. Yet the Lord changes that and gives them status!

So in a way, our Lord’s revelation about the Father was “no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” As we learn in Matt.18: 3

“I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.” In another version from the Greatest in the Kingdom, “Jesus invited a little child to stand among them. 3 “Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

For the second part of this gospel we read, “28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

These words ring in my ear from the lyrics of the song sung by Basil Valdez entitled “Lift Up Your Hands.” For he includes the words of our Lord in his beautiful song, which is why many of us who love this song could never forget the immortal words of our Lord.