At that very moment he rejoiced [in] the holy Spirit and said, “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. 22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” 23 Turning to the disciples in private he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24 For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.” 25 There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” 27 He said in reply, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 He replied to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.”
Jesus expressed deep spiritual joy and praised his Father for revealing the nature of His kingdom to the childlike and humble rather than to the rich and learned (Js. 4:6). The "childlike" are those who approach God with humility and openness, qualities often lacking in the "wise and the learned." Jesus informed his disciples about the unique and intimate relationship he shared with the Father underscoring his divine authority. The Father has entrusted all things to him, and the revelation of the Father comes through the Son, who is the mediator. Jesus told his disciples that he reveals the Father to those he chooses. He explained that they are blessed to see and understand what he has revealed to them, a privilege many prophets and kings longed for but were not granted. Seeing and understanding God’s works were privileges traditionally reserved for the prophets (Amos 3:7; Num. 12:6-8). Without Jesus, one cannot have a true understanding of God (Jn. 1:18).
A legal expert tried to test Jesus by asking a fundamental question about eternal life, a significant concern in Jewish religious thought (Dan. 12:2; Mt. 19:16). Jesus responded by directing the scholar to the Scriptures, asking him how he interpreted the Law. Answering a question with a question was a common rabbinic technique in Jewish teaching to engage the questioner in deeper thought, reflection, and self-discovery. The scholar replied by correctly quoting the Shema (Dt. 6:5) and Lv. 19:18. These two great commandments (Mt. 22:37-40) summarize the essence of the Law, with love of God and neighbor being at the heart of Jewish ethical teaching. Jesus told him that if he lived those two commandments in his daily life, he would inherit eternal life.
Heavenly Father, we praise you for revealing your wisdom to the humble and childlike. We have come to know you more deeply through your Son, Jesus Christ. Help us to embrace his teachings with open hearts and to live his commands to love you and our neighbors as ourselves. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
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Sources:
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
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