Breaking the Word

At that time Jesus said in reply, "I give praise to you, 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. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him. "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." (Mt 11:25-30)

God’s revelation is to the people who are childlike. Childlike persons are receptive and they are open to others and they always admire the things with wonder and so on. The wise and the learned are most of the times inquisitive, suspicious and doubtful. Jesus praises the attitude of the father towards his own creation. God’s revelation and his gracious will is on the side of the persons who are childlike.

Indirectly Jesus says that he himself is a childlike person. Because God has revealed everything to Jesus and the total knowledge of the Father is given to Jesus. Jesus also looks for people who are childlike. The kingdom which Jesus has come to establish is for the people who are childlike. Jesus himself is the first example of that.

One of the qualities of the childlike person is to let others come to him. Letting people to enter into oneself is the quality of the childlike person. (He should be always ready to receive persons particularly the persons who are of heavy heart and over burdened with worries etc). Childlike person is meek and humble. He never burdens the other. All these qualities only show to prove that a childlike person is other centered.  

He entered a boat, made the crossing, and came into his own town. And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Courage, child, your sins are forgiven." At that, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming." Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said, "Why do you harbor evil thoughts? Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" — he then said to the paralytic, "Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home." He rose and went home.  When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe and glorified God who had given such authority to human beings. (Mt 9:1-8)

Jesus saw their faith. But their actions were nothing very different. They brought a paralytic lying on a stretcher. One would wonder how these actions of theirs were expression of their faith. In fact they have a lot about Jesus and his healing ministry. They believed that God was in him living and working through him. Jesus exclaims about this faith: they saw God in Jesus present and active.

Some of the scribes said that he was blaspheming. They were harbouring evil thoughts. They were not ready to see God in Jesus active and effective. They saw Jesus as anyone of the people. Even though Jesus was preaching and teaching about the kingdom and even though he was doing the works of the kingdom yet they were ready to see God in him.

The sick person was healed and walked away carrion the stretcher in front of them. For the paralytic and his friends Jesus was Emmanuel (god with us). But for the others he was a blasphemer.  Anyone who sees God’s presence in the other and in the world will receive the gifts of God. But anyone who refuses to see God and his presence in the world will be men of evil thoughts.