Two Secrets From Gospel Of Matthew

Horizons in Biblical Theology 29 (2007) 75-85

www.brill.nl/hbth

Two Secrets, Two Disclosures Paul S. Minear1

Abstract Matthew 11:25-30, with its prayer, soliloquy and promise, may have served as a working outline for the way that the author of Matthew’s Gospel understood his story as a whole. Two related secrets are revealed in these verses that are further explicated in the narrative as a whole, namely that God and Jesus have identities that reinforce one another as Father and Son. Particularly the events of cross and resurrection explicate how it is that no one knows the Son except the Father and no one knows the Father except the Son. Keywords Matthew, Christology, biblical interpretation

I have found in six verses in Matthew what that author may have used as a working outline for the way he understood his story as a whole. In this brief space, 11:25-30, he has used three different literary forms: a prayer, a soliloquy, a promise. They address three different audiences: the Father, Jesus himself, and all who hear (although at the moment no audience is present). All three deal with mysteries of cosmic dimensions in the past and future. Three different audiences are indicated, yet one—Matthew’s readers. Different mysteries are also indicated, yet one—a disclosure of historic and cosmic proportions. These things bear much more study than can be summarized here. The prayer deals, in two different verses, with the long-awaited invasion of the earth by the kingdom of heaven. It is followed by a soliloquy that, in a single verse, speaks of the hidden identities of the Son (not disclosed until the very end of the Gospel) and of the Father (a disclosure

1)

This essay is prepared with gratitude for the fifty-year friendship of Dorothy and Louis Martyn and Leander Keck. © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2007

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DOI: 10.1163/187122007X198509

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that begins immediately). Finally, in the last three verses, comes a call by the Son that conveys a promise by the Father. We will begin by listening to the prayer of the Son who remains the focus of Matthew’s interest throughout.

The Prayer I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will (11:25-26).

This text presupposes information that only earlier chapters can provide. First, who were “the wise” from whom this Father had hidden his secret, and who were “the infants” to whom he had disclosed it? The “wise” are identified variously as the scribes, the Pharisees and Sadducees, the leaders of the synagogues who pride themselves on being the sons of Abraham. They have rejected the two prophets, John because “he has a demon” and Jesus because he is “a glutton and a drunkard” (11:16-19) who is able to cast out demons only because he holds authority granted by Satan, ruler of demons. Appointed by the God of Israel as shepherds, these “wise” ones have abandoned the sheep that had been entrusted to them. They shut their eyes to all evidence that the longawaited kingdom had been emerging. The signs were not those they had been expecting. The “infants” are those who have accepted signs with penitence and faith, not offended by the absence of convincing credentials on the part of the two prophets. Not proud of their righteousness, like the leaders, they are grateful for the unmerited and unexpected grant of God’s forgiveness. They have not shown, and most of them could not show, the required evidence of righteousness. In the Matthean narrative they are lepers, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics, women made “unclean” by menstrual blood, the blind, the deaf, even the dead. But Jesus, with his prophetic eyes, sees them as poor in spirit, mourners, meek, merciful, hungry for righteousness, pure in heart, willing to accept persecution without resistance or revenge (5:3-10). He declares them to be blessed

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by God and accepts them as recipients of the powers and joys of God’s kingdom. For both these “wise” and these “infants,” Jesus offers thanks to his Father, recognizing (perhaps with some surprise and objection) both the rejection of the wise and the blessing of the infants as full evidence of the Father’s “good pleasure.” A question is prompted by what seems to be an unnecessary addition to the prayer. After the address, “Father,” why did Jesus add the phrase: “Lord of heaven and earth”? Was the salutation “Father” not adequate? Why so impersonal a title as “Lord . . .”? There must be good reason. I suggest this as a probable explanation: if the hiding of “these things” has involved an action in heaven, so must their revealing. Indeed, heavenly action is presupposed by their hiding. In both instances a prayer of gratitude to heaven is in order. The addition may sound clumsy, but it is intrinsically necessary.2 So in the Gospel when Jesus evicted a demon from a person, his success was due to a prior defeat of Satan, the Lord of demons, accomplished in heaven, the location of Satan’s throne. This logic is illustrated unwittingly in the Lord’s Prayer: “As your will is done in heaven, it may also be done on earth.” For those rescued from the evil one, it is through prior heavenly help (6:9-13). Each action of this Lord of earth is linked to the prior action of this same Lord of heaven. Jesus’ prayer of gratitude illustrates such a connection. Another question: when the prayer speaks of “these things” which the Father has in one case hidden and in the other revealed, what exactly are they? Jesus gives thanks for them. He seems to include the deeds of power done in Capernaum and the other cities whose residents he condemns for their rejection (11:20-24). There are other deeds that have vindicated wisdom (11:19). Surely he included the healing of many diseases through the good news brought to the poor (11:5), in fact all of the signs that the kingdom of heaven has come near (19:7). And not to be overlooked is the divine blessing of the eight groups mentioned in the preface to the Sermon on the Mount (5:3-10). In its own way, the prayer 2)

In Matthew, the term “heaven” is the realm of the invisible, inaudible, and intangible, while earth is the realm of the visible, audible and tangible. Together they constitute the universe. Later we will see how these two categories were important for this Gospel.

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provides its own summary of all that has happened since at Jesus’ baptism Jesus’ Father had disclosed his approval. Such earthly events cannot be understood apart from their origins in heaven, in the Father’s will. The Son’s Secret and Its Disclosure “All things have been handed over to me by my Father . . . and no one knows the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal to him” (11:27).

Here the reference to the Father is not in the second but in the third person, indicating that the prayer is finished. And there is no reference to anyone else; Jesus is now talking only to himself about his own exclusive knowledge of that Father whom no one else knows. No one else is even present. The audience is only imagined. Perhaps the context would have clarified the meaning for later readers of the Gospel. In the preceding prayer, of course, Jesus has been careful to thank the Father who alone is responsible for both hiding and revealing “these things.” And he has given “credit” to “the Lord of the heaven and the earth,” which, as we shall see later, adds an ultimate finality to the Father’s action toward the wise and the babes. “The Lord of the heaven” has spoken in that verdict (28:18). Nothing in the future can do anything but corroborate His decision, which, as we have noted, is very different from any human expectation. From Jesus’ prayer we might even imagine an element of surprise on his own part as well. In any case, the attention of Jesus the Son turns to “the things” that the Father has turned over to him, an assignment that goes well beyond his initial proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven, as the Gospel’s conclusion reveals. “All things have been handed over to be by my Father . . . and no one knows the father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (11:27).

Here then are three assertions so bold as to be almost incredible. (1) This unrecognized Son is the only one who knows this Father. (2) This Father is the unrecognized “Lord of heaven and earth.” (3) Here

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and now this Son is authorized to disclose this Father to those whom he chooses. That now becomes his assigned task. To those who respond he will now reveal this unique knowledge of the Father which will transform both their knowledge of themselves, their world and this teacher as Son, and his Father, unseen but no longer unknown lord. Teaching such a lesson will require the rest of the Gospel. In this setting three verses summarize the identities of those invited, of the Inviter, and of his Father. “Come to me, all of you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart. And you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (11:28).

Here Jesus changes the central emphasis of his message. The focus had been on the invasion of the Kingdom of Heaven/God (4:17). It now shifts to himself as one who knows the Father, and the only one. Notice the tone of invitation: come . . . take . . . learn. Now the direct address: you . . . you . . . you, by a speaker who knows the Father and speaks for him. Jesus calls for the weary to exchange their heavy burdens (a “yoke”) for his own. The promise with the taking on of his yoke is unqualified: “rest for your souls.” The force of that call may be clearer if we begin with the end of his address and move back toward the beginning. At the end, the promise is unqualified: “rest for your souls” (issued by the only one who both knows and speaks for the Father). Passages in both testaments offer this rest as God’s gift to his people when they fulfill their covenant with him. It is both Jesus’ yoke and his Father’s, their burden, which brings rest to the weary. This burden is light only because Jesus’ heart is humble; his yoke is easy only because of his meekness. But they must come to him and learn from him—by no means an easy or brief lesson. In coming to him, they come to his Father. The central visual image seems to be a contrast between two pack animals, each with a burden on its back, held in place and drawn by a yoke around its neck. Jesus’ burden is lighter than theirs, and his yoke is easier—hence his promise is confident: rest for the soul. The point is

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much the same as that made by the donkey which Jesus used on his later entry into Jerusalem (21:5), utter humility before his Father and utter meekness before others. In this context, however, the yoke may refer to the whole body of obligation, accepted by Israel at Sinai as its response to God’s covenant. The following debate with the scribes in Chapter 12 shows that the immediate issue is one of human obedience to the Torah, of carrying its yoke, which is lighter than they have taught.

The Father’s Secret and Its Disclosure “No one knows the Son except the Father” (11:27)

Matthew’s narrative provides evidence that this secret has been confirmed to the human audience. In fact, at Jesus’ baptism it had become known to Satan, who immediately had used that knowledge for his own purposes (3:13-4:11). Thereafter it became known also to Satan’s servants on earth, the demons; when challenged by Jesus, they at times appealed to this knowledge by saying “You are God’s Son” (8:28-31). Satan’s final temptations of Jesus at his crucifixion raised the first three to a degree of final intensity. The trial by hunger recurred in the offer by a soldier of a drink to relieve Jesus’ intense thirst on the cross (27:34, 43). The earlier trial at the temple was repeated in the offer, by the leaders of Israel, of belief in him if he would only come down from the cross (27:42). The third temptation in the wilderness was matched in the courtroom, when Pilate offered to release Barabbas and thus claim his own innocence by avoiding the sentence of death (27:15-26). None of the human participants knew the Father’s secret. Such ignorance was also displayed by Jesus’ disciples from the earliest days of their allegiance. An exception at first appears when Jesus inquired of his disciples, “What is everyone saying about me?” They answered, “One of the prophets.” But when he asked, “But what about you?” they replied, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (16:15). Is this an exception to “No one knows”? Jesus corrected that idea:

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“Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.” Peter himself shows that his knowledge is faulty, for his next remark reveals the influence of Satan when Peter denies that great suffering awaits the Son. Peter had not only stumbled, but he had tempted Jesus himself to stumble. To correct Peter, Jesus began to teach the disciples that he must “undergo great suffering . . . and be killed” (16:21-23). Peter later shows that he did not listen, understand, or accept such corrections. Nor did any other disciple. Matthew soon speaks of another episode relevant to the Father’s revelation of the Son: the vision on a high mountain, that “no-man’s zone” between heaven and earth (17:1-13). Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared talking with Jesus, whose identity a voice disclosed, “My Son, my Beloved. I am pleased with him. Listen to him.” These were almost the words that God had used at Jesus’ baptism (3:17). The same voice immediately ordered the disciples to reveal the vision to no one. They obeyed. In fact, they were frightened. They had not understood the significance of God’s identification of his Son, confused, perhaps, by the fact that Elijah had not returned as expected. Even when Jesus identified John as a fulfillment of that expectation, they did not understand. Until after his resurrection, “flesh and blood” did not know what only the Father knew: the identity of his Son. To summarize our investigation of the two secrets: up to this point in the story, neither the “wise” nor the “infants” had known the identity of Jesus as God’s Son (14:33 is a possible exception). God’s double action of hiding and revealing had remained His alone. Knowledge of Jesus’ role as Son had not proved to be essential to the infants’ inheritance of God’s kingdom; the authority of the “Lord of heaven and earth” made unnecessary any further need. During that same period Jesus had been able to share his knowledge of the Father without revealing the authority derived from being his Son. It was such knowledge that he had voiced in his imagined “Come to me, all who are weary. . . .” His authority to speak as God’s Son would be released only at a more strategic moment. In this Gospel the final disclosure of both secrets (11:27; the reinforcing identities of the Father and the Son) comes during three days:

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the day of crucifixion, the day of resurrection and the day of final disclosure and promise. The account of each day included disclosures essential to Matthew’s design as expressed in our seven verses. The first day reveals in sharpest possible contrast the two opposing worlds, the world of Jesus and the world of those who shared in his condemnation. The key question was raised by the latter: “if you are the Son of God . . .” (27:38-40). The very repetition accented the possibility, since none of those asking it accepted the possibility that they would receive a positive answer. Their minds were closed, though open enough to raise the question. First came the demand of the casual passersby: “Save yourself. If you are the Son of God come down from the cross.” If Jesus were God’s Son, he should have the power to “come down.” But a careful reader of Matthew’s Gospel must ask, where did this casual crowd learn to ask this question? Not from the Father! Not from the Son! According to this Gospel the only possible source was Satan, who from the time of Jesus’ baptism had known and used it. The same question came from a more important source: the chief priests, the scribes, the elders representing all the rulers and guides of Israel. To Jesus this source—so inclusive and so final—was most important. He had in fact instructed his disciples to limit their work in Israel. His appointment of twelve apostles had indicated this, as did his repeated concern for the “lost sheep of the House of Israel” (10:6; 15:24). These “rulers” conceded something to Jesus—“He trusts in God”—but they now used this trust as basis for an insincere appeal: “Let God deliver him now, if he wants to, for he said ‘I am God’s Son’” (27:41-44). That appeal said more about their fears and about Satan than about their God. Their self-deception was, in fact, immediately confirmed by both of Jesus’ fellow-criminals. The “forsakenness” was now complete, as the total blackout revealed.3 3) The forsakenness was linked in all these cases to human assumptions concerning priorities in the importance of self-interest. The forsakenness by the entire leadership of Israel was preceded by the behavior of Jesus’ disciples at the place of crucifixion, in the trial, in the arrest, in Gethsemane, in the last Supper, in Judas’ betrayal. Prophetic imagery—in this case, the three-hour blackout—is needed in the description of such human behavior. Earth needs, in fact demands, correction by heaven.

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The world of Jesus was very different—a difference indicated by three hours of darkness that evoked a change of vision. The noise of the earth shaking evoked a change of hearing, changes wrought by the cry from the cross (27:45-54). An earthquake had often been used by prophets to indicate a radical change in both vision and audition that enabled them to see and to hear heaven’s rejection of earth’s blindness (2 Sam 22:8; Ezek 37:12). In this case the first message was delivered in the sudden tearing of the curtain in the temple. Only the priests could go through the curtain; thus it had come to represent their symbolic power in controlling traffic between heaven and earth. The tearing of the curtain becomes heaven’s verdict terminating their powers on earth. In a similar fashion, the unanimous call for Jesus’ death presupposed earth’s confidence in the finality of death’s power over life. The opening of the tombs and the resurrection of the “saints” were heaven’s verdict on earth’s understanding of both death and life. A third possibility became open with the surprised and surprising exclamation of the centurion, “Surely . . . the Son of God.”4 The account of Good Friday raises questions, questions beyond number, but two remain for every reader: “If you are the Son of God . . .?” Or “Truly . . . the Son of God?” Many readers, of course, opt for that Friday’s answer by the women: silence. During the campaigns of Jesus and the fledgling prophets in the hostile cities of Galilee, their courageous hosts had received his promise: “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me” (10:40). That welcome was now honored by the earthquake that signaled both the forsakenness of Jesus and the fulfillment of his promises. Even so, there was as yet in this Gospel no canceling of the earlier declaration, “Only the Father knows the Son.” The women had been there, “looking on” from a distance. But what had they seen? The tearing of the temple veil? What had they heard? The terrified centurion? Faithful still, they watched the crucifixion and later the burial, sitting near the tomb. 4)

Near the beginning of Jesus’ work, Matthew had told the story of another centurion (8:5-13) who had displayed a similar recognition of Jesus’ authority and a similar rejection of the Jews as “heirs of the kingdom.” The selection of these two highly unpopular “enemies of God’s people” is significant, as well as their location in the unfolding drama: at the beginning and at the end.

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On the first day of the week they returned to see the tomb, where they received the news from the angel: “Not here. . . . He is risen. Go tell his disciples that he had been raised from the dead and that he is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see him.” As they were going on their faithful errand to those faithless apostles, Jesus himself met them, greeted them, acknowledged their worship and repeated his command with the assurance, “There they will see me” (cf. 26:32). The account was brief indeed. It made no reference to the day of crucifixion and signaled the Galilean rendezvous in the briefest terms. But he fulfilled his promise. That rendezvous proved to be the last occasion covered in this Gospel—very briefly described, but of very great importance: An essential announcement: “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me.” A direct command: “Go! . . . Make disciples. . . .” An authorization: “in the name 5 of the Father . . . the Son . . . the Holy Spirit.” An assignment: “Teaching them to obey everything.”6 A promise: “I will be with you.”

That is the announcement that completes our examination of the seven verses. Here the Father’s secret is at last disclosed. It is the decisive confirmation of his initial designation of Jesus as “my son” (3:17). Even on the cross? Yes. And in the tomb? Yes. The Lord of heaven and earth had at last revealed his Son and had given him all authority in both heaven and earth. This authority is now shared with them as they fulfilled their own assignment; and as they did, they provided continuing evidence of Jesus’ authority under the Lord of heaven and earth. It remains true that no one knows the Son but the Father and no one knows the Father but the Son. So the ultimate issue is clear: who is the 5) This triple name now carries to both this first and subsequent generations the authority of the Spirit, expressed in the sequence of prophets (Moses, Elijah, Jesus), in the teaching of the Son, and in the secret of the Father, kept close until the “forsakenness” of that Son revealed it. 6) “Everything” is a very inclusive category. Readers may well ask themselves which teaching do apostles now find most difficult to obey. To limit the field, which of the eight Beatitudes (5:3-11) is no longer valid? And why is this true today but not then?

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Lord of heaven (that invisible realm) and of earth (that visible realm) and who continues to reveal himself in this Son, and how does this Son continue to reveal his presence to and through his disciples “until the end of the age”? Matthew expects his readers to anticipate different responses from the “wise” and the “infants” as well as different degrees of faithfulness from the disciples. At best, disciples remain fickle and faithless, yet even at those times there are women who quietly observe the earthquakes, are open to the message of angels and rush to carry their message to the cowards. An earthquake continues to signal the times of betrayal and of renewal, but the Son’s promise, “I am with you,” continues to locate readers on his map of heaven and earth. One secret: “No one knows the Father but the Son. . . .” Its disclosure: “Come to me . . . learn from me.” The other secret: “No one knows the Son but the Father. . . .” Its disclosure: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

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