Matthew 11:25-30

At that time Jesus exclaimed: “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 little ones.

“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 gentle and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

“Little Ones”

Who are the “little ones” about whom Jesus exclaims? They are the people who have been open to Jesus’s proclamation of the coming of the Kingdom of God. These “little ones” are Jesus’s first disciples, like the Twelve Apostles, and women like Mary his mother, and Mary Magdalene. Why are they drawn to Jesus?

Consider the world of Jesus’s time, poised between the religious world of the Jews, the people of the Covenant with God, and the military might of the Romans. Add in the great philosophical and cultural traditions of the Greeks. Ordinary people, neither religiously, militarily, nor intellectually favoured, would have to choose.

The obvious choice is for people to side with the status quo. Going along with the political, military, and religious authorities would make life smoother, even if still difficult. It was never going to be easy for the ordinary people.

So why did some choose Jesus? First, they would have seen him as the promised Messiah of God, who would bring the Kingdom of God to earth. Yet Jesus says that he is more than the Messiah, more than a man who is chosen for a divine mission. Jesus says the Father has revealed who he is to the little ones. They may not know fully who he is, but they are learning that he is one with God.

Second, the “little ones” have taken a huge risk. They have cut themselves off socially, religiously, and even economically from their community. They can no longer depend on the support of the authorities. They can’t even count on the authorities to leave them alone: they are going to face persecution and death.

Third, they are expecting to be beneficiaries of the Kingdom of God – and what could be greater? What they are going to learn is that the Kingdom is not what they were taught to expect. They will not be in the inner circle of a power earthly king, which is how they thought of the Messiah. Instead they will accompany Jesus to the failure of the Cross.

However, by remaining faithful to Jesus, they will also become witnesses to the resurrection. They will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. There will be “yokes” and “burdens” but they will also share the “rest” of walking with Jesus. And as they share the Gospel call with new “little ones”, they will also find joy.

The “little ones” have hearts that are “gentle and humble” because they know the heart of Jesus.