The readings for today’ liturgy brings into sharp focus Jesus’ identification with the lowly in order to raise man’s fallen nature to its lost dignity.
The First Reading is often associated with Palm Sunday for obvious reasons. In today’ Liturgy, it is used to complement Jesus’ cry of jubilation which forms today’ gospel reading. When our Lord rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, his action was not a sudden inspiration but something wholly in character with his previous ministry, his self-identification with the lowly.
Today’s Gospel reading opens for us a profound prayer that Jesus offers to his Father. The learned and the wise of this world think that they see what ordinary people do not see. But they are deceived. Jesus thanks his Father for revealing him to the “merest children.” He says, “ I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants, yes Father, for such was your gracious will” (Matthew 11:25-26).
Within the context of the Gospel passage the “Children” he is talking about are his own apostles and disciples. The learned and the wise are the Pharisees and the Scribes who, to a great extent, had reduced religion to the observance of a multitude of petty prescription. Not only did they burden pious Jews with hundreds of laws to be fulfilled; they also ignored some of the more substantial requirements of the revelation God made to Moses and transmitted to the chosen people.
Jesus knows the Father and reveals him to us all. Jesus says “ Everything has been given to me by my father and no one knows the Son except the Father and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him ” (Matthew 11:27). The kind of knowledge that Jesus possesses of his Father is one that surpasses all human knowledge. The Pharisees and Scribes claim to know God but they deceive themselves. The knowledge Jesus has of the Father is the fact that he knows the secret things of God and he it is who transmits them faithfully to those who have ears to hear.
Jesus of Nazareth, through his preaching, his miracles, his parables, his life and death proclaims God’s plan of salvation for all men. That plan includes a suffering Messiah who will be humbled all the way to the cross. It pleased God to hide this plan from the proud and to reveal it to little ones like us. God truly uses the weak things of this world to confound the strong and the stupid things to baffle the wise.
All knowledge of salvation, knowledge that concerns us today and our future has been communicated to the Son. As the Gospel reading emphasises, this knowledge is in the hands of the Son and he can give it to anyone to whom he wishes to reveal it. Jesus is the source of infinite wisdom and knowledge. In our day when there is so much intellectual and moral confusion all around us, it is necessary to recall these reassuring words of our divine saviour that all things have been handed over to him by his Father. It is this true knowledge of Jesus that will lead us out of ignorance unto the threshold of wisdom.
At the conclusion of today’s Gospel, Jesus turns to his disciples and to us and urges us to come to him, for he will refresh us. He urges us to assume his burden, for he will give rest to our souls. “Come to me all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart… for my yoke is easy, my burden light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
In the Jewish culture, a yoke is placed on two oxen so that they can complement each other in the process of ploughing. Therefore, if Jesus invites us to take upon ourselves his yoke, he is not by this placing another burden on us. Instead, he wants to complement our efforts; he wants to help us carry our burden. By inviting us to take upon ourselves his yoke, Jesus identifies himself with sinful humanity in order to raise humanity back to his lost dignity.
The second reading makes it clear those whom Jesus wishes to reveal himself to. St. Paul says “… anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him” (Romans 8:9b). Therefore, anyone who wishes to possess knowledge of God and of Jesus must submit himself to Jesus. For the one who possesses the Holy Spirit is truly humble and will possess such knowledge with ease.
In conclusion, according to Blessed Pope John Paul II in his book Theology of the body explained “When truth is presented in its full splendor, it does not need to be imposed. It has its own appeal that naturally attracts us.” The folly of man is that he refuses to listen to the truth. The pagans refused. The Pharisees refused. We too are tempted constantly to refuse. But by the faith that God has poured out into our hearts we must turn completely to Jesus by placing our whole trust in him. Go to him for his yoke is easy and his burden light. He is patiently waiting for you to come, take and learn.
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