Verse 21.) Second, he shows that one should rejoice about the irreproachable providence; for he adds: "In that hour he exulted in the Holy Spirit," that is, in spiritual joy, which ought to be in the Holy Spirit, not in the flesh, according to that passage in Romans 14: "The kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit"; hence also the glorious Virgin says in the first chapter: "My spirit has exulted in God my Savior." — And in this he gave the disciples a manner of exulting and at the same time expressed from what they ought to exult, when he adds: "I confess to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth," namely that you are not only creator through power, but also governor through providence, according to that passage in Jeremiah 23: "I fill heaven and earth"; and in the last chapter of Isaiah: "Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool." To this universal provider he makes confession, namely of praise. For confession is not only of fault, according to that passage in James 5: "Confess your sins to one another"; but also of true faith, about which it is said in Romans 10: "With the heart one believes unto righteousness, but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation"; but also of divine praise, according to that passage in Hebrews 13: "Let us offer a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of our lips confessing his name"; and in the Psalm: "Confess to the Lord, for he is good" etc. And it is understood in this way here as praise of God the governor himself.
But he praises him for his providence; on account of which he adds: "Because you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to little ones." For this happens according to the judgment of divine providence, that "God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble," as is said in James 4; and in the Psalm: "The Lord is exalted and regards the lowly and knows the lofty from afar." Therefore these things, that is, the mysteries of our redemption, he hides from the wise and prudent of the world, who consider themselves wise in divine matters and prudent in temporal affairs, according to what is said in 1 Corinthians 1: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and disapprove the prudence of the prudent"; and afterward he adds: "God has made foolish the wisdom of this world"; and therefore in Isaiah 5: "Woe to you who are wise in your own eyes and prudent before yourselves." For from such people divine sacraments are hidden, but on the contrary they are revealed to little ones; hence in the Psalm: "The declaration of your words illuminates and gives understanding to little ones." — And note that "he does not say to the foolish and dull-witted, but to little ones, that is, the humble, to show that he does not condemn the sharpness of intelligence, but the swelling of pride," as the Gloss says. Hence Bernard: "Humility is the key of knowledge," according to that passage in Proverbs 11: "Where there is humility, there is wisdom."
And since this judgment of providence is irreproachable, therefore he adds: "Yes, Father, because thus it pleased you"; as if to say: justly, because it pleases you; since, as the Gloss says, "what has pleased the just one cannot be unjust." Hence it suffices to have given this reason, nor did he wish to assign another, either because this is most sufficient and primary, according to that passage in Exodus 33: "I will have mercy on whom I will, and I will be clement to whom it pleases me"; and in Romans 9: "He has mercy on whom he wills" etc. Or so that curiosity may be restrained, lest we dare to scrutinize the judgments on high; hence the Gloss: "From this we receive an example of humility, that we may not rashly scrutinize the counsels on high"; for it is said in Proverbs 25: "He who scrutinizes Majesty will be oppressed by glory." Or to show that divine providence is to be praised in all its works and altogether irreproachable in all things, according to that passage in the Psalm: "The Lord is just in all his ways and holy in all his works." — Therefore one should rejoice and exult about the irreproachable providence of God, not debate it with presumptuous little reasonings; because, as Gregory says, "divine judgments are not to be rashly scrutinized, but to be venerated with fearful silence."
(Verse 22.) Third, he shows that one should rejoice about the incomprehensible power, when he says: "All things have been delivered to me by my Father." For in this, that he says: "All things," infinitely, "delivered," he shows his power to be universal, according to that passage in John 1: "All things were made through him," that is, through the Word; and again in chapter 17: "All that is mine is yours, and yours is mine." In this, that he adds: "By my Father," he indicates that power to be natural, according to that passage in John 5: "Whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise." In both together he shows equality and immensity; hence the Gloss: "When you hear 'all things,' you recognize the omnipotent one; when you hear 'delivered,' you confess the Son, to whom by nature of one substance all things are properly his by right, not conferred as a gift through grace." And from this it appears that the power of the Son is immense and incomprehensible. — And afterward he adds: "And no one knows who the Son is except the Father," that is, no intellect comprehends this perfectly except the paternal one; and therefore in this the Holy Spirit is not excluded, but only created intellect, which cannot comprehend him, since he is immense. Hence Job 11: "Will you perhaps comprehend the footsteps of God and discover the perfect Almighty? He is higher than heaven, and what will you do?" etc.
And because the Son is incomprehensible, therefore he can comprehend the Father. On account of which he adds: "And who the Father is, except the Son"; supply: no one knows; because, in John 1, "No one has ever seen God except the Only-begotten, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him." — Since he alone comprehends, therefore he alone can reveal; and therefore he adds: "And to whom the Son wills to reveal." For the Son is the Wisdom and Word of the Father, and the Speaker manifests himself through his Word; hence Wisdom 9: "Who will know your mind, unless you give wisdom from on high?" Hence Chrysostom: "Philosophers striving to inquire about God have confessed that they found nothing else except that God is unknowable, just as one who undertakes to sail an unnavigable ocean, when he cannot cross it, must return by the same way; so they began from ignorance and ended in ignorance." And the reason for this is that they were not disciples of Jesus Christ, who is truth, nor did they have the Spirit, about whom in John 16: "When that Spirit of truth comes, he will teach you all truth."
(Verse 23.) Fourth, he shows that one should rejoice about the desirable presence, as to which he adds: "And turning to his disciples, he said: Blessed are the eyes that see what you see"; therefore you can rightly rejoice, because you see me both in mind and in body, since Abraham rejoiced, who saw only by faith, according to that passage in John 8: "Abraham, your father, exulted to see my day; and he saw it and rejoiced." — And therefore in figure of this it is said in 3 Kings [1 Kings] 10 to Solomon: "Blessed are your men and blessed are your servants, those who stand before you always and hear your wisdom." This is said of Solomon as a figure of Christ, because, as he himself says of himself in Matthew 12, "behold, something greater than Solomon is here." Hence this was a special gift.
(Verse 24.) And therefore he adds: "But I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see what you see, and did not see it." The sublime in knowledge and power desired the presence of Christ, according to that passage in Haggai 2: "The desired of all nations will come." Hence because of vehement desire it is said in Isaiah 64: "Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down!" and in Numbers 24: "A star shall rise from Jacob, and a rod shall arise from Israel"; and afterward: "Alas! Who will live when the Lord does these things?" Nor is it surprising, because in Esther, the penultimate chapter, it is said to Ahasuerus in the person of Christ: "You are very wonderful, lord, and your face is full of graces." And therefore they desired to see the presence of Christ and hear his teaching, and on account of this he adds: "And to hear what you hear, and they did not hear," that is, my words; because, as is said in Hosea 10, "it is time to seek the Lord, when he comes who will teach you righteousness." For this was a very great benefit, to hear God speaking, not through a subjected creature, but in his own person and united creature. Commemorating this benefit, the Apostle says in Hebrews 1: "In many and various ways God spoke of old to the Fathers by the Prophets, but in these last days" etc. Blessed is he who hears this speech humbly and obediently.
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