Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
It sounds impossible, but Jesus actually said it: the Father has hidden precious truth from "the wise and prudent" people! They may weary themselves in their search for it, to no avail. It's a warning to us common, lowly people, not to let them do our thinking for us.
The context was Jesus "upbraid[ing] the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent." Their refusal to repent gives us a clue to this apparently impossible prayer Jesus prayed: "I thank You, Father, ... because You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes" (Matt. 11:20, 25).
Wise and prudent people find it difficult to humble themselves. They gravitate toward becoming prophets of Baal. Heart-melted repentance is the only appropriate human response to Christ unveiling Himself in His revelations of truth. When the Holy Spirit meets the wall of arrogant human resistance, He humbly withdraws Himself and leaves the "wise and prudent" to patter on, unconsciously devoid of His presence. The common people are bewildered, for they naturally detect that the Emperor has no clothes on. "The [vociferous] labor of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city" (Eccl. 10:15, KJV).
Paul tells the lowly, humble people, "You see your calling, .. that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, ... and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, ... that no flesh should glory in His presence" (1 Cor. 1:26-28).
If you are one of the "common people" who hears Jesus "gladly" (Mark 12:37), don't "glory" over the "wise" and "noble." Be humble; the Father's rejection of them is not total--just of "many." They can repent if they will listen. If you were "wise" or "noble" you might be proud, too. Thank God we common people can welcome a mode of repentance always.
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: March 21, 2006.
Copyright © 2014 by "Dial Daily Bread."
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Please forward these messages to your friends and encourage them to subscribe. The "Dial Daily Bread" Web site resides at: http://1888message.org/dailybread/
To subscribe send an e-mail message with "subscribe" in the body of the message to: dailybread@1888message.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" messages are availalbe via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.
