Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, vol. 1

THE QUESTION OF JESUS' SELF-UNDERSTANDING §16.2
Matt. 11.25-26
25 At that time Jesus said,
'I thank vou. Father. Lord of
heaven and earth, because vou have hidden these
things from the wise and the intelligent and have
revealed them to infants; 26 ves. Father, for such
was vour gracious will'.
Luke 10.21
21 At that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy
Spirit and said, 'I thank vou. Father, Lord of
heaven and earth, because vou have hidden these
things from the wise and the intelligent and have
revealed them to infants; ves. Father, for such
was vour gracious will'.
If we confine comment for the moment to the first half of the saying (the
prayer proper), 26 even here opinion is greatly divided. 27 Nevertheless, it is clear
that the Q tradition retains a vivid memory of Jesus praying to God as Father. The
prayer itself is thoroughly Jewish and was probably first uttered in Aramaic. 28
The note of exultation at revelation received is consistent with the strong sense of
eschatological hope realized which is so deeply rooted in the Jesus tradition. 29
As also the delight at the privilege granted to those usually regarded as incapable
or ineligible to receive such insight and favour. 30 The thought of God giving wisdom
and insight to infants and of the wise lacking discernment is also a familiar
motif in Jewish wisdom and apocalyptic writing, 31 which may well suggest what
prompted this particular formulation. 32 But why should such an exultation be attributed
to Jesus in the early communities? If it was taken to refer to Jesus himself,
who would have called him nepios ('infant')? If it was exultation in their
own sense of having been granted revelation, there is no reason why it should
have been formulated as a prayer of Jesus (contrast 1 Cor. 1.18-2.13). And if the
newly minted prayer needed to be qualified by adding Matt. 11.27/Luke 10.22,
why retain the former — unless it was part of the tradition from the first? 33 In
contrast, it is entirely likely that such an exultation, uttered with disciples gath-
26. On Matt. 11.27/Luke 10.22 see below §16.2c(l).
27. Davies and Allison note that the majority of scholars pronounce in favour of authenticity
(Matthew 2.278). But the Jesus Seminar voted against it (Funk, Five Gospels 182), and
Lüdemann judges it inauthentic, 'as the "Risen One" is speaking' {Jesus 331).
28. Davies and Allison, Matthew 2.273-78.
29. See above, §12.5. In biblical usage, exomologeö in the sense 'confess, profess' gives
rise to the further meaning 'praise', as often in the LXX (BDAG, exomologeö 4; O. Hofius,
exomologeö, EDNT 2.8-9). Not dissimilar are the eschatological exultations characteristic of
1QH 10[2].20, 31; 11[3].19, 37; 12[4].5; 13[5].5, 20; 15[7].6, 26, 34; 16[8].4; 19[11].3, 15.
30. See above, §§13.4-5.
31.Pss. 19.7; 119.130; Dan. 1.17 (youths); Wis. 10.21; Sir. 3.19 (v.l.). Funk refers to Ps.
8.2 ('out of the mouths of babes and infants') (Five Gospels 182), which Matthew inserts into
the cleansing of the Temple pericope (Matt. 21.16); and Davies and Allison refer particularly to
Isa. 29.14, which Paul takes up in 1 Cor. 1.19 (Matthew 2.275-77).
32. The Qumran Teacher likewise rejoices that he has been 'prudence to the simple'
(petayyim = nepioi) (1QH 10[2].9).
33. So, e.g., Boring, Sayings 150-52.
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