25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.REFLECTIONSWritten by Michael LegaspiAs I read this passage, I wondered who were the wise, the learned and the little children, and why it pleased God the Father to reveal himself and make himself known to the little children. I think Matthew 10:42 and 18:2-5 helps us understand who the little children are in verse 25: they are people who are helpless and come to Jesus humbly, like little children. The wise and learned are those Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 (people who depend on themselves or the wisdom of this age), or those in yesterday’s verses in Matthew 11:20-24 (people who believed they didn’t need Jesus).As I reflected on verses 25 and 26, I found it amazing how God was pleased to make himself known to people who in this world we would consider burdensome, broken, or helpless. In this world we usually desire to surround ourselves with people of power and influence. But God is strange to us in the way he was pleased to restore his relationship with people so weak – and even more, people who were his enemies. It reminded me of how powerful he is: a God so unshakeable and sovereign that even in the chaotic mess that we make of this world he still doesn’t need anyone (Acts 17:24-26). Amazing that in all his power he is pleased to choose not the ones who are the greatest, but to invite into his family prostitutes, tax collectors and sinners (Matthew 9:11). That’s crazy! This contrast helps me comprehend my frailty and put my faith in him and not myself.With verse 27 the relationship between God the Son and God the Father is stunning and beautiful, as Jesus praises his Father (verse 25) and expresses how close he and the Father are. No secrets between them: only the Father knows the Son completely and only the Son knows the Father completely. And Jesus makes another big claim: that only he can reveal the Father. This claim challenges me because many times I would like to believe that I might be able to know God by myself or in my own goodness. But the reality is that no matter who I am, only Jesus can reveal God to us.So if we come to Jesus like children, God is pleased to have a relationship with us. Praise God for his heart! But I need to keep trusting in his word and remembering that Jesus is the only way. QUESTIONDo you need to be smart and clever to know God? Why or why not?ABOUT THE AUTHORMichael is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.