Matthew 21:11-16: a reflection

11The multitudes said, “This is the prophet, Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” 12Jesus entered into the temple of God and drove out all of those who sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the money changers’ tables and the seats of those who sold the doves. 13He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers!” 14The lame and the blind came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children who were crying in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the son of David!” they were indignant, 16and said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes. Did you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of children and nursing babies, you have perfected praise’?”

After Jesus cleanses the temple, the children there take up the cry, Hosanna to the son of David! And when the chief priests and scribes, indignant, ask Jesus whether he hears what the children are saying, he defends their praise, quoting Scripture: Out of the mouth of children and nursing babies, you have perfected praise. The sophisticated leaders were offended; but Jesus received the simple, childlike praise of the children, and even said that in it praise was perfected. The praise God delights in was found not in the indignant leaders, but in the children's simple cry.

Notice whose praise Jesus received and honored: the simple, childlike praise of children. The leaders, learned and sophisticated, were indignant; they did not praise, but objected. But the children cried out their simple praise, Hosanna, without sophistication or reserve; and Jesus received it, and said that in such childlike praise praise was perfected. God delights not in sophisticated reserve, but in simple, wholehearted, childlike praise. The praise that pleased him came from children, offered simply and gladly, not from the learned who held back.

That is worth taking to heart, for we can hold back from simple, wholehearted praise, thinking it unsophisticated or beneath us. We can be like the reserved and sophisticated, holding back from the simple, glad, childlike praise that God delights in, as though it were beneath our dignity; but Jesus received the children's simple praise and said it was perfected praise. Do not hold back from offering God simple, wholehearted, childlike praise, thinking it unsophisticated; God delights in such praise, and received it from the children when the learned held back. Offer God the simple, glad praise of a child, without reserve or sophistication, for this is the praise he delights in and calls perfected, as Jesus received the children's Hosanna and honored their simple, childlike praise over the indignant reserve of the learned.

Lord Jesus, after you cleanse the temple, the children there take up the cry, Hosanna to the son of David! And when the chief priests and scribes, indignant, ask you whether you hear what the children are saying, you defend their praise, quoting Scripture: out of the mouth of children and nursing babies, you have perfected praise. The sophisticated leaders were offended; but you received the simple, childlike praise of the children, and even said that in it praise was perfected. Show me whose praise you received and honored: the simple, childlike praise of children. The leaders, learned and sophisticated, were indignant; they did not praise, but objected. But the children cried out their simple praise, without sophistication or reserve; and you received it, and said that in such childlike praise praise was perfected. You delight not in sophisticated reserve, but in simple, wholehearted, childlike praise. Take that to my heart, for I can hold back from simple, wholehearted praise, thinking it unsophisticated or beneath me. I can be like the reserved and sophisticated, holding back from the simple, glad, childlike praise that you delight in; but you received the children's simple praise and said it was perfected. Keep me from holding back from offering you simple, wholehearted, childlike praise, thinking it unsophisticated; you delight in such praise. Help me offer you the simple, glad praise of a child, Lord, without reserve or sophistication, for this is the praise you delight in and call perfected.