Jesus is praising the Father because He has hidden "these things" from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children. First of all what "things' is He referring to? Jesus just finished denouncing some of the cities in which He had done most of His miracles. It would seem that they had missed the whole point. The miracles were not done just for the purpose of performing miracles and providing great entertainment. They were not done only for the purpose of alleviating pain and suffering, even though that is important to a compassionate God. In the verses before He says that if these same miracles had been done in Tyre or Sidon or even in Sodom, that those people would have repented in sack-cloth and ashes. Romans 2:4 tells us, "Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?" We too often forget that wisdom and education does not lead to salvation, neither does a healthy body. It is quite possible for the educated and healthy to spend an eternity in Hell. One can even say that it is a sure thing unless there is repentance. Jesus says in another place that if one's eye or hand offends, that it is better to pluck it out or cut it off, and enter the kingdom maimed than to go to Hell completely intact. The primary purpose of the signs and miracles that Jesus performed were to show that God was among them, thus bringing conviction which leads to repentance.

Hidden from the Wise