Jesus, the Wise Ones and the Little Children

At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, 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.
Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.

"All things have been committed to me by my Father.
No one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and no one knows who the Father is except the Son
and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
Luke 10v21-22 (TNIV)

This can be a troublesome saying of Jesus. He seems to be happy that few people will end up knowing God and finding salvation. In the Christian world I am growing up in, the emphasis is on how to save as many people as possible as quickly as possible. It's an interesting contrast.

Jesus has sent out seventy two of his disciples - the Twelve apostles along with sixty other disciples (which, now that they have been "sent" and are now "sent-ones" they qualify as apostles). These seventy-two disciples/apostles return, celebrating all the ways that good overcame evil, of how God's kingdom broke into the reality of Empire, of how demons were driven out of the oppressed, how men, women, and children were healed, forgiven, and welcomed by God. And Jesus is celebrating with them - God is at work in the world...God's way. Jesus has to remind his disciples not to get too excited about what they were able to accomplish - maybe a little pride is emerging in their celebration.

At this point Jesus has been face to face with people who speak for God, but whose wicked hearts are determined to be rid of him. Jesus has seen three decades of Roman Empire oppression, the wreckage strewn throughout the souls and soil of Israel. Jesus has experienced the wisdom of the world, which favors the rich and powerful at the expense of the poor and powerless. Salvation was being proclaimed by the senators and philosophers of Rome - Caesar was Lord and Savior of the world! And in it's wake was death and destruction, devastation and decimation.

Clearly Jesus is introducing a totally different kind of kingdom and a God who rules in a completely different way then Caesar or King Herod. Jesus is working in such a way that the rich and powerful cannot comprehend, they are blind to what he is doing, the work of God is hidden from them, they cannot comprehend the emphasis on reconciliation, mercy, truth, and justice. God has come in Jesus to the poor, the overworked, the abused, the marginalized of the empire - whom he refers to as little children - and made clear to them that God the Father, LORD of Heaven and Earth is for them.

If a king is going to establish his kingdom, he seeks to marshall the power and influence of the rich and highly capable, the smart and the savvy. But God, in his way, has some to the little children, to those that will listen, to offer them a new way. God is happy that in doing things His Way, there are many who have responded in trust and allegiance. Jesus is happy that those who seek to make everything about them at the expense of others are not co-opting his work. Jesus is full of joy that through him people are seeing God on Earth, and are listening to God, and doing what he has for them to do.

Jesus would rescue and redeem the wise and the learned...if they would listen to him. Jesus is for you...listen for him, listen to him...otherwise you'll miss the ways you could be part of his work to heal and rescue and welcome.