by Canon Rob Penrith
Two weeks ago, I was given the following readings for a Wednesday sermon, and I would love to share my thoughts with the wider parish through this Newsletter. The readings were Isaiah 10:5–7, 13–16; Psalm 94:5–15; Matthew 11:25–27
One of the striking features of these readings is that they all expose the same illusion: the difference between what human beings believe to be true and what God reveals to be true.
Isaiah presents the Assyrian king, the great military power of the ancient world, who imagines himself to be the master of history. The Psalm speaks of those who oppress the weak while believing that “the Lord does not see.” In the Gospel, Jesus speaks of the “wise and learned” who assume they understand God yet fail to recognise Him standing before them. In every case, God overturns human assumptions.
Our own age is not so different. We live in a world that celebrates power, influence, wealth, technology and expertise. Nations boast of military strength. Leaders speak with confidence about shaping the future. We are constantly encouraged to believe that human ingenuity can solve every problem if only we possess enough knowledge and determination.
Yet Jesus offers a profoundly different perspective:
“I praise you, Father… because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.” (Matthew 11:25)
Jesus is not condemning learning or education. Rather, He is exposing the pride that believes God can be mastered by human intelligence and high position alone. There is a kind of wisdom that leaves no room for God, and there is a childlike humility through which God delights to reveal Himself.
Isaiah illustrates this beautifully. Assyria had become an instrument through which God would discipline Israel, yet the king forgot he was only an instrument. He boasted, “By the strength of my hand I have done this.” Isaiah responds with one of Scripture’s most memorable images: Does the axe boast against the one who swings it? A tool has no reason to glorify itself. Every ruler, every nation and every achievement ultimately stands beneath the sovereign hand of God.
That warning is not only for governments or world leaders. It reaches into our own hearts whenever we quietly begin to think, “My success… my ministry… my wisdom… my achievements.” Without realising it, we can begin to occupy the place that belongs to God alone.
Psalm 94 addresses another common temptation. Looking at injustice, it is easy to wonder whether God notices or even cares. The wicked exploit the vulnerable and say, “The Lord does not see.” The Psalm firmly rejects this illusion. The God who made the eye surely sees. The God who formed the ear surely hears. His justice may not always come according to our timetable, but He neither forgets nor abandons His people.
The Gospel then brings these truths into sharp focus. Jesus declares that no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. God is not discovered through human brilliance alone; He is revealed in Jesus Christ and received through humble faith.
As we watch the news and observe leaders confidently asserting their own power and vision, these readings invite us to adopt a different posture. The Christian response is neither despair nor arrogance, but humble trust. The world tells us that knowledge is everything. Jesus reminds us that true wisdom begins with knowing the Father through the Son. The world celebrates those who appear to make history. Isaiah reminds us that history ultimately belongs to God. The world fears that justice will never prevail. The Psalm assures us that the Judge of all the earth neither sleeps nor forgets.
Perhaps the greatest lesson is that we never outgrow our need to be learners. Childlike faith is not childishness; it is the willingness to trust, to receive and to depend upon God. As St Paul wrote, “I want to know Christ.” Not simply to know about Him, but to know Him personally.
May these readings encourage us to resist the pride so often displayed in our world and instead cultivate the humility through which God continues to reveal His wisdom. For the deepest truths of God are not grasped by human achievement but received with open hands and trusting hearts through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Bless you all in Christ Jesus,
Canon Rob Penrith