The Foolishness Of The Elite And The Wisdom Of The Humble

Matthew 11:25-30

Most of us in our lifetime have run across those who think of themselves as better than others because of their superior education or their high IQ.  In whatever subject they happened to have studied, they feel they are the tops.  They look down their noses at anyone who has had less years in school.  Those simpletons are just numbskulls compared to themselves.  The Pharisees were just like that.  They had spent years studying the Old Testament, and even more important to them, their oral traditions, which were later assembled to become part of the Talmud (volumes of man-made teachings and opinions on God’s laws.)  They felt themselves superior to the common folk who were following Jesus.  But with all of their so-called “superior” learning, they were completely blinded as to God’s truth.  Jesus shows that in the first two verses of our passage today.

Verses 25 and 26 are a short, little prayer that Jesus speaks aloud to His Heavenly Father.  In His brief prayer, Jesus thanks His Father for doing the unexpected with both the religious leaders and His disciples.  Here, as we’ve discussed, the Pharisees and Jewish religious leaders considered themselves wise and highly learned, superior to the common person.  They thought that Jesus and His disciples were unlearned simpletons, “babies” when compared to themselves.  They felt that if anyone was worthy of God’s blessings and revelations, they certainly were.  But here, Jesus said that God’s truths were being revealed and accepted by, as the Pharisees called them, the “unlearned babies”, not those “wise and prudent” ones.  The Pharisees were arrogant in their supposed knowledge, but in truth, they were blind, missing out on God’s revelation.  The so-called “babes” or “little children” were humbly open to God and to receiving His truth from His Word.  Regardless of how much or how little education we have, we need to always be sure that we are not arrogant, but are open, like little children,to receiving God’s truth.

In the next verse, verse 27, we see where Jesus is giving an indication of His divinity.  God is sovereign over all, including over mankind.  Jesus’s statement would be blasphemous if He were not God Himself.  For someone to know God, have a close, personal relationship with Him, the Son, Jesus, must choose to reveal Himself to them.  Jesus will reveal Himself to anyone who is open to Him, willing to accept the truth.  We need to be open and willing, like children, not puffed up, close-minded, and arrogant, like those “wise ones” of the earlier verses.

The last several verses in our passage today are ones that are quite familiar, and many of us have memorized (vs. 28-30).  Here Jesus gives an open invitation to all.  How many of us are tired of searching for God, trying to be good enough, trying to do whatever it takes to make sure we are accepted by Him.  Will I ever find Him, and when I do, will I be good enough for Him?  Even after we have found God, through Jesus, many of us still keep trying to work religiously to be good enough.  

Here in these verses Jesus says to come to Him and find rest from our own efforts of trying to keep the Law, especially all of the man-made rules the Jewish leaders imposed.  Today there are many man-made rules that some churches impose, as well.  Our burdens can be burdens of the excessive demands that our religious leaders make on us (Matthew 23:1-4; Acts 15:10).   We can also be carrying the burdens of our sins - unconfessed sin, or sins that have been confessed, but we cannot forgive ourselves of.  Jesus tells us to come to Him to find rest from these burdens.

Strong work animals, such as oxen, will have a yoke put on them to help them pull a strong burden.  Many times a religion will put a yoke on us as well, telling us to carry a burden of works to try to make our way to heaven.  Also Satan will often put a yoke on us to pull the burden of our sins.  Jesus is calling us to Him to cast off those yokes, and to take the one He is offering.  He calls us to put ourselves under His direction.  The yoke and burden of works He replaces with faith in His finished work on the cross.  The yoke and burden of our sins is replaced with His forgiveness and knowing He casts them into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).  Turn to Jesus and cast down your burdens.  Take up His yoke, for His yoke is easy and burden is light.