On one occasion, Jesus pointed out to his disciples that only those to whom the Son revealed himself would know him and the Father, not necessarily the wise and intelligent, but to childlike people. Then he blessed his disciples, because great people, prophets and kings, desired to see what they were currently seeing. Jesus’ point is that we do not get to him through wisdom, intelligence, study or education. He is not seen through our reason, but through revelation, because he is more than a philosophy or a topic of study, he is to be revealed and known through experience and life lived together.
What Jesus says here makes me think of what I’ve been reading in “A History of Christianity” by Latourette, when he stated that Christianity was influenced by Platonic and Neoplatonic thought. Beginning in the 4th century Christianity officially became doctrinal during Constantine’s calling of the Council of Nicea. In Constantine, Christianity passed from the Age of Catholic Christianity to the Age of the Christian Empire. Constantine’s intent was to unify Christians, but the result was further division and to set Christianity on a course of doctrinal truth being the standard for the Christian faith. The emphasis on doctrine required individuals to study to know the doctrine and perhaps the reasons behind it as the primary way of following Jesus. Many Christians at that time, possibly even including Constantine, did not value or appreciate the intellectual exercise of the theological debate regarding Jesus’ deity leading up to the Council of Nicea, rather as in the words of one who had suffered for his faith in the persecutions reminded the debaters that “Christ did not teach us dialectics, art, or vain subtleties, but simple-mindedness, which is preserved by faith and good-works.” (Latourette, v. 1, page 154). What this faithful and unnamed Christian declared resembles what Jesus declared to his disciples. Too often, we have let our culture, particularly the intellectualism of our culture define what it means to be a Christian. Christianity is following a person who is alive and able to guide us and teach us how to live. He, in the person of the Holy Spirit, does not tend to teach us formal lessons, or give us a systematic approach to the Christian faith and life, but he addresses how we should respond in any given situation, resulting in the good-works mentioned by that Christian follower of the 4th century.
“Jesus told them that their good example would give glory to their Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16), and by expressing love for their enemies, they would reveal themselves to be sons of their Father in heaven (Matthew 5:44-45). Practicing righteousness without regard to being honored by people would produce acknowledgment from their Father in heaven (Matthew 6:1, 4). Praying in solitude would cause their Father in heaven to recognize them (Matthew 6:6, 8). Refusal to forgive would remove their Father’s forgiveness of them (Matthew 6:15; 11:25)”(Outrageous Prayer, page 23) https://www.amazon.com/Outrageous-Prayer-Praying-Jesus-Prayed-ebook/dp/B09RW88FZC
David Freitag 