A Word to the Wise

Jesus prayed, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.”

Those with an above average IQ start out with a spiritual disability. There is no spiritual benefit to ignorance because eternal life depends on knowing God the Father and His Son (John 17:3). But neither is there a special spiritual benefit to intelligence. To the contrary, the intelligent may think—like all ancient and modern Gnostics—that they are saved by the strength of their intellects.

The intelligent are given a tool to use for the glory of God, that is, their minds. The physically strong are given their strength; the artistic are given their sense of color, tone, or proportion. All these are to be used for God and by God’s strength.

The weak are given their weakness, which they must present to the strong to be helped by them, neither demanding help, as though it were due them, nor refusing help through fear of being a burden, for both of these responses are forms of pride.

And so all of us must become little children if we want to enter the kingdom of heaven.