Matthew 11:25-26
INTRODUCTION
Have you ever wondered why
it is that the smartest people, and the best-educated people, and the most
prominent and gifted people so seldom are serious Christians? I have.
I am thankful that there are brilliant people who are Christian
believers—scientists, and philosophers, and literary people.
These people help me to make
sense of my faith and often answer troubling questions for me.
But the fact remains that
most highly intellectual people are not believers.
Many of the brightest people
are even atheists; Some even use their brilliance and their literary talents to
seek to destroy the faith of people who believe.
When I have thought about
this. I have wondered whether it isn’t that the more intelligence one has, the
more reasons one can think of not to believe.
Another reason may be that
people who are so bright and successful don’t need God as much as we ordinary
people do. They are satisfied with their accomplishments and the praise they
receive from others.
Jesus said something about
this subject in Matthew 11:25-26:
It was a time when many of
the leading people were turning against Jesus. He was discouraged by their
unbelief.
It was at that time that
Jesus prayed to the Father, saying these words: “I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden
these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea,
Father, for such was thy gracious will.”
When Jesus says that God has
revealed his truth to “babes,” he doesn’t mean literal infants. The Bible often
speaks of simple, unlearned, powerless people as “infants,” or “little children,”
or as “little ones.”
I suspect that none of us in
this room are of the “great” of this world—neither in power or in intellect or
in popularity.
It is you and me Jesus is
speaking of when he says, “I thank you…that you have revealed these things to
infants.”
The Greeks, of the ancient
world, were noted for their philosophers and thinkers. Their pride in their intellect made it hard for them to
believe.
St. Paul, in writing to the
believers in the Greek city of Corinth put it this way:
“Where
is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not
God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the
world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what
we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek
wisdom but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to
Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power
of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and
the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
I. Let’s talk about those
simple, ordinary people to whom God has revealed his truth.
A.
Vern, a fellow church member of my church, is, to me, one of my best examples
of Christian devotedness.
Vern is no great Bible
scholar. He participates in group Bible studies. He reads his Bible and is
nourished by its truth. He knows no Greek or Hebrew. He doesn’t read
commentaries, and he doesn’t share great spiritual insights. But he lives the
truth of God. He is a model for me.
When there is work to be
done in the church, Vern is always there.
He has a cheerful spirit. He
has love for everyone.
He is always ready to help
anyone in need—even when, as sometimes happens, the people he helps take
advantage of him.
Jesus didn’t say, “Blessed
are those who understand the deep things in the Bible,” but “Blessed are those who hear the word of God
and keep it!” (Luke 11:28).
Those are the ones who
know—not only the Bible—but also the God of the Bible.
Jesus is looking for lovers,
not scholars.
B. Haven’t you sometimes
been blessed by the godliness of someone of very limited intelligence?
I remember a young man in
our church in Kansas, though he could be considered very slow mentally
overflowed with love and faith.
We used to have a resident
here named Hazel. Hazel was a regular at our services and at the Bible study we
had several years ago. She and her husband had had only one child, a son,
Johnny, who was retarded.
Their son was a constant
concern. Her husband, a pastor, several times took groups of people on tours of
the Holy Land. But Hazel always had to stay home because of Johnny.
In our conversations Hazel
often mentioned Johnny…and whenever she did, she always added: “Johnny was such a blessing.”
I didn’t ever ask Hazel in
what ways Johnny was such a blessing. I suspect that it was because of his
loving and trusting nature.
I recently read a book of
letters of a famous English pastor named John Newton. Writing to a nobleman in
a letter of July 1774, Newton wrote:
“I have a poor girl near me who looks like an idiot
and her natural capacity is indeed very small; but the Lord has been pleased to
make her acquainted alternately with great temptations and proportionably great
discoveries of His love and truth. Sometimes when her heart is enlarged I
listen to her with astonishment. I think no books or ministers I ever met with
have given me such an impression and understanding of what the apostle styles “the deep things of God” as I have upon some occasions received from her
conversation.”
II.
God is a gracious God. His gift of grace is available to all.
A.
Many of the best things in the world are available only to the fortunate.
In this world, many of the
best things in life are reserved for the well born, the intelligent, the
well-connected, the beautiful, the gifted.
For us ordinary people,
there are some things we would like to do, but we can’t.
I would like to write books
that other people will read.
I would like to speak before
crowds and hold them spellbound.
I would like to have that
personal magnetism that makes me a natural leader.
Probably there things you would
like to do—but you just don’t have the talent.
Aren’t you glad that God makes his gospel available to ordinary
people, who are
average--or even below—but actually gives us an advantage when it comes to
knowing him, being useful in the world, and enjoying his blessings?
B.
So let’s not bemoan the things we can’t do or envy those who are our superiors
in these ways, but let’s use the opportunities we have.
I am thankful for the gifted
people. Those who have great knowledge or gifts of communication have enriched
my life in many ways. I have known Christians who had such wonderful
personalities that I was drawn to them and been blessed.
But God uses mostly mediocre
people.
And we untalented people
even have some advantages. We aren’t so likely to be tempted by pride. We know
our limitations. We can understand people like us. We can do the jobs that
other people don’t want to do.
And when we get old, we can
still be useful in the ways we have always been useful—by praying for others
and helping when we can, by being encouraging, by a grateful spirit, and by
showing our faith by our cheerfulness.
We can bear our troubles
with grace.
We can express our hope for
the future.
We can bless the lives of
those around us.
We can enjoy all the
important blessings God offers.
And we will have the honored
place in glory that God will give to his faithful ones.
CONCLUSION
It is good to be one of the
God’s children.
We have the joy of knowing
that we are important to God.
Our Father loves you as much
as if you were the only person on earth.
Jesus gave his life for you.
He called you to himself.
You are precious to him.
He will be your friend
through all eternity.
In Isaiah 43 we read these
words. God is speaking:
“Fear not, for I have
redeemed you;
I have called you by name,
you are mine…
You are precious in my eyes,
and honored, and I love you” (vv1 & 4).
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