In that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will. All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
Then turning to the disciples he said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it." Luke 10:21–24 (RSV)
Emma, age 4, can write her name. She learned this milestone in her pre-Kindergarten class. She spoke the letters as she wrote them, her face beaming at the wonder she had created. She had written her name.
As much as I rejoice with her accomplishment, something is fading from her eyes. Emma is our youngest grandchild. She is the last one whose gaze held that wide-eyed wonder. If you pay attention, you can see in the eyes of even a newborn a look of absolute wonder, amazement, joy at the world they are discovering.
Though they see so many things for the first time and have little comprehension of what they are seeing, they see even the most mundane object as it were the beauty of heaven. Emma still has some of it in her eyes, but it is fading.
Jesus blesses the Father that the wonders, the mysteries of His purpose, are hidden from those who think they know God. The Father has revealed them to the wide-eyed wonder of a child, who may not comprehend what they are seeing, but know it to be truly good.
I bless God that I park my car in what we call the upper garage. It is the old garage detached from the house. I walk from this garage to the house, not a great distance, unless it is pouring rain or -30 degrees.
But on a cloudless night, I can gaze up at the night sky and see the bit of the universe in which we live. I often stand, transfixed, gazing at the night sky. It is a marvel that brings me close to Emma's wide-eyed gaze. The vast wonder of God's creation reminds me that the Father is mindful of me, even me.
When we get lost in the complexities of life, when the pandemic threatens to overwhelm us, when I get too caught up in the study of God to be amazed by Him, it is a blessing to see as does a child. It is a blessing to trust, not concerned that I may not fully grasp the divine purpose, to simply trust.