Jesus praises and glorifies the Father, who had foreseen the entire trajectory of the Word first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. Our Lord here gives thanks to his Father, the Lord of heaven and earth, for his mission in becoming incarnate in the form of a servant. He speaks about the Father's good pleasure now to hide this mystery about himself from Israel, which might be expected to be wise, and to reveal it to the Gentiles, who were until now without understanding. It is thereby demonstrated that God did not forget to fulfill his purpose, nor did Christ's coming fail in its appointed end. These things indeed have happened, God knowing them beforehand and having commanded beforehand the repentance of grace.
Origen, Fragment 239
Let no one think there is anything in Him less than what there is in God. The Lord says that all things have been committed to Him by the Father, that He is known to the Father alone, that the Father is known to Him alone and to whomever the Lord wishes to reveal Him. He will reveal the Father’s will to whoever asks. By this revelation He teaches that there is the same substance of both Father and Son within their mutual knowledge. Whoever knows the Son will likewise know the Father in the Son because all things have been committed to the Son by the Father. So too, there is nothing known to the Father alone that has not been committed to the Son. For what is of the Father is known only to the Son. In this mystery of mutual knowledge, we understand that there is nothing in the Son that is unknown to the Father.
Finally, He calls to Himself those who labor under the difficulties of the Law and those burdened with worldly sins. He promises to relieve their labor and their burden if only they take up His yoke. In other words, they ought to accept the teaching of His commandments and come to Him through the mystery of His cross, because He is humble and meek in heart and they will find rest in their souls. By establishing the appeal of his pleasant yoke and the attractions of a light burden, He grants to believers knowledge of His goodness that He alone knows in the Father. And what is more pleasant than His yoke? What is lighter than His burden? By these we become worthy of approval, we abstain from wickedness, we desire to do good, we refuse to do evil, we love all people, we hate no one, we attain eternity. We are not infatuated with the present times; we are unwilling to bring upon another the trouble which we ourselves would not wish to endure.
Hilary of Poitiers, Commentary on Matthew 11.12–13
