Revealed

Scripture:  Matthew 11:25-27 (Click link for scripture in Bible Gateway)

25 At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. 26 Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way! (Matthew 11:25–26 NLT)

God’s people had lost touch with him. God sent Moses to deliver them from bondage and bring them into an awareness of God and his covenant. Moses gave them an identity as the people of God and taught them a godly way to live. Again and again they lost touch with God and drifted into paganism or dead religion. Again and again God sent his prophets to call them back to relationship. Then God sent his Son (he entrusted everything to him) to call them out of their pride in their national identity, out of their pride in their religion, and out of their sense of superiority over other people.

If our theology does not show us that God is like Jesus—a God who cares about what Jesus cares about, who looks and acts and speaks like Jesus—our theology is incorrect! Jesus told them, “You think you know God because of your laws and your religion. You don’t! You look at me and you can’t see who I am because I don’t look and sound and act like the God you think you know! But here’s the truth! Until your God begins to care about what I care about, and look and sound and act like I do, God is still hidden from you. You’re seeing a distorted caricature of the Father.”

Friends, if we think ourselves wise and clever in our knowledge, better than others because of our religious affiliation, superior to others because of our race, gender, tribe, or national identity, God remains hidden from us. What we are seeing is a distorted caricature of the Father. When, in childlike faith, we see that God so loved the world that he sent his only Son to reveal himself to all who believe, we begin to know the Father. Jesus said we need, “ears to hear, eyes to see.” Do you hear? Do you see?

“My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (Matthew 11:27 NLT)

Prayer:

Father, I need to hear this gospel truth again and again. I have such a short attention span and I’m so easily distracted! I’m looking to Jesus, my master, teacher, savior and Lord, and I’m seeing you again more clearly. Thanks for your patience. Amen.