<p>11:25 <em>At that time Jesus answered-</em>&nbsp;Often the Gospels record that Jesus &quot;answered and said...&quot;. Yet it's often not clear whether anyone had asked a question, or said anything that needed a response (Mt. 11:25; 22:1; Mk. 10:24, 51; 11:14,22,33; 12:35; 13:2; 14:48; Lk. 5:22; 7:40; 8:50; 13:2; 14:3,5; 17:17; 22:51; Jn. 1:50; 5:19; 6:70; 10:32; 12:23,30; 16:31). If you go through this list, you will see how Jesus 'answered' / responded to peoples' unexpressed fears and questions, their unarticulated concerns, criticisms, feelings and agendas. This little phrase reveals how sensitive Jesus was. He saw people's unspoken, unarticulated needs and responded. He didn't wait to be asked. For Jesus, everybody He met was a question, a personal direct challenge, that He responded to. And of course this is how we should seek to be too. And yet here in Mt. 11:25 He could be responding to His own question and reflection upon why so few responded and why only the immature disciples seemed to understand anything at all? We see here a window into the very internal thought process of the Lord, something which could only come from a Divinely inspired record.</p>
<p><em>I thank You O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth-</em>&nbsp;This is language taken directly from the&nbsp;<em>Hodayot</em>, the Qumran &ldquo;Thanksgiving Psalms&rdquo;. There is reason to think that in his years in the Qumran area, John the Baptist became familiar with the Qumran community, and may have passed on some of their style and culture to his converts. The multitudes addressed here by the Lord had initially responded to John (11:7). So it would seem that the Lord is bridge building with them, speaking to them in terms known and accessible to them, and yet leading them further and away from the legalism and extremes of Qumran thought. Note how there is a juxtaposition of God&rsquo;s Almightiness, as Lord of Heaven and earth, with His closeness to us as &ldquo;Father&rdquo;.</p>
<p><em>That You did hide these things from the wise</em>- Those who think they are wise in their own eyes- see on &ldquo;exalted&rdquo; in :24.</p>
<p><em>And prudent-</em>&nbsp;Again we see the Lord&rsquo;s grace, for the disciples themselves weren&rsquo;t &lsquo;understanding&rsquo; (s.w.) of everything at this time (s.w. Mt. 13:51; Mk. 6:52 they considered / understood not; 8:17,21; Lk. 18:34; 24:45). Yet to them was revealed the Truth which others had hid from them.</p>
<p><em>And did reveal them to-</em>&nbsp;This continues the thought of 11:15, that only some have ears to hear. The word is used in Mt. 16:27 of how the truth of Christ was revealed to Peter, one of the &ldquo;babes&rdquo;.&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Babes</em>- An essay in the serious immaturity of the disciples, and yet the Lord&rsquo;s love of them all the same. They are the &lsquo;little ones&rsquo; of 10:42, the little children in the town square of 11:16.&nbsp;See on 1 Cor. 1:19. Paul saw the simplicity of the Corinthian believers as the sort of thing Christ referred to in Mt. 11:25.</p>