NOTES for Mat 11:20-26

At the end of today's Gospel reading we hear an astonishing word from the Lord Jesus Christ, one that is rather difficult to translate into Russian. Our Synodal text offers the rendering "I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth". The Slavonic text is closer to the original, saying "I confess You, Father". In Greek the verb here is exomologeo, literally meaning "to agree, to promise, to acknowledge, to confess." The Latin translation gives us the verb confiteor, which chiefly means "to acknowledge, to confess." It is important to listen closely to this word, because its shades of meaning help us understand what the "confession" of the One God is, the confession to which we are called.

So the Lord turns to the Father with thanksgiving because the mystery of salvation, the mystery of faith, rejected by Capernaum and other cities, rejected by the wise and understanding, has been revealed to infants in faith, to people who are simplehearted and straightforward. This is truly a gift of the Father's good pleasure, mercy toward us. At the same time it is a manifestation of God's great wisdom, because one cannot come to the Almighty with pride and self-satisfaction. What translation options do we see, taking the possible shades of meaning into account?

"I praise You, Father" is the most capacious Russian option, chosen by the authors of the Synodal text. It is a proclamation of God's greatness and an announcement of His glory, His presence, and His rule in the world. This aspect was central in the Old Testament tradition and remains central in the New Testament tradition. "I agree with You, Father" is another option, and a very important one in our standing before God. After all, one can become a participant in God's life only by agreeing that God's work is beautiful. The aspect of acknowledgment is also important in this word. We confess what we have done, but here, of course, that is not what is meant. One possible translation is, "I confess my love to You, Father"; it is suggested by the excellent interlinear translation of the Russian Bible Society, published in 2001. And New Testament Greek also uses this verb in the sense of promising, of making vows. "I promise to be faithful to You, Father..." is how this shade of meaning can be expressed.

So the text of today's Gospel gives us several inseparably connected aspects of what the confession of faith is. It is praise of God, acknowledgment of His Truth and Wisdom, love for Him, and a promise of faithfulness to Him. This, apparently, is the worship in Spirit and truth to which we are all called. And it is also important that all of this, especially the promise of faithfulness, requires active service to the One whom we praise, by whose wisdom we are guided, whom we love, and to whom we are faithful.