Eyes Opened by God

In a café one afternoon, I noticed a toddler with her parents at an adjacent table. As the parents talked with their friends, a pigeon flew in and started pecking crumbs from the floor. Filled with awe at this sight, the little girl tried getting the adults’ attention by squealing with delight. But they never got to see what she saw. They just smiled at her and returned to their conversation.

Jesus once sent His disciples on a preaching mission, which turned out to be tremendously successful (Luke 10:17). “I praise you, Father,” Jesus prayed in response, “because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children” (v. 21). In this case, “little children” didn’t refer to age but status. It was humble, everyday “sinners” who responded to the gospel, while “wise and learned” religious leaders ignored it (7:29-34). While God decides who He reveals Himself to, Jesus always explained more about the kingdom to those who asked (see Matthew 13:36). The leaders had missed seeing who Jesus was because they didn’t really want to know.

The little girl in the café saw something wonderful while her parents missed out. May we never be so distracted by the world’s chatter, or lacking in humility to seek more understanding, that we miss what God wants to show us about Himself.