“At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.” Matthew 11:25
Notice the phrase “At that time.” At what time? At the time everything was negative and contrary. At the time when everything was against the Lord. At the time when, naturally speaking, you would not utter a thanksgiving. When you read the word “answered,” you may wonder who the Lord was talking to. In the preceding verses, He was not talking to anyone. He was going through the cities, and they were rejecting Him. They would not repent. It was at this point that Jesus answered. What was He answering? Who was He answering? He was answering His environment. He was answering what was being spoken to Him in His environment.
Brothers and sisters, we must this moment answer our environment as it is. How have you answered your environment? How have I answered my environment? “At that time, Jesus answered and said.” Our environment requires answers. We cannot remain neutral. We cannot just cope with environment. There is no progress in God that way. We cannot blame environment. Not only will there be no progress, but we will go deeper into the flesh, deeper into our mind, and deeper into Satan. So we dare not answer the environment in that way.
When the Lord answered His environment, He was answering all the rejection. And what did He say? “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight” (Matt. 11:25-26). The Lord uttered this in His humanity, after having a disappointing environment an environment contrary to His expectation. The Lord answered with thankfulness from His inner being saying, “Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.” So the Lord kept His blessedness.