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Luke 10:21
ESV In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.
NIV At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, 'I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
NASB At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, 'I praise You, 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 doing so was well pleasing in Your sight.
CSB At that time he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, because this was your good pleasure.
NLT At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, 'O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.
KJV In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

What does Luke 10:21 mean?

Jesus thanks God the Father for the work He has done in the lives of the disciples. Jesus is not thankful for the disciples' ability to heal and cast out demons, but for their salvation and their God-given understanding of the Father, the Son, and their relationship (Luke 10:17–20).

Jesus' description of His faithful followers as children in contrast to those who are "wise" or have "understanding" can be confusing. "Wise," in a biblical context, means knowing how to practically apply godly knowledge (Proverbs 1:1–7). "Understanding" means to have good sense, and the ability to pass wisdom to others. Consistently in Scripture, God tells us to be wise and understanding (Psalm 94:8; Proverbs 1:5). So, why would Jesus be happy that His disciples are unwise, misunderstanding children?

Context is key: the wisdom and understanding Jesus dismisses are referenced with irony, or even sarcasm. He refers to the wisdom of the world and the understanding of religion twisted by men. The leaders of Jesus' time adhered to religious beliefs placing unnecessary burdens on people and taking them away from God's love and grace. Their worldly understanding incited them to reject their Messiah to hold on to their earthy authority.

In contrast, the disciples are "children" who accept Jesus humbly, with no pretense (Mark 10:15). Because their hearts are not filled with religious pride, they are better able to accept God's revelation about His kingdom and the need for repentance. They also have eyes to see Jesus' relationship with God the Father (Luke 10:22–24).

This is the plan the sovereign God decided in heaven and manifested on earth. In the disciples' past, kings and prophets looked forward to God's future revelation. It is that very revelation of the Son which the disciples get to experience (Luke 10:24). That understanding is far more important than either academic learning or miracles. That doesn't mean academic learning is useless but that learning must submit to the context of the more important truths about our sinfulness, the Father's love, and the Son's sacrifice.

When Peter and John are called before the Sanhedrin, the leaders consider them "uneducated, common men." Even so, the council members are "astonished" that the pair could argue so eloquently (Acts 4:13). The disciples are given understanding of God's truth through the Holy Spirit. They accept what Jesus says and do not rely on their own understanding or human speculation. They know it is better to be foolish in the world's eyes (1 Corinthians 1:18) but know our "names are written in heaven" (Luke 10:20).

This verse is one of many that mentions all three Persons of the Trinity. Critics sometimes claim the Trinity is not explicitly found in the Bible. It is true the word "Trinity" is not in the Bible, but the three Persons are mentioned together in over one hundred passages in the New Testament (Matthew 28:19; Mark 1:9–11; John 14:16–17; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Galatians 4:6; Hebrews 2:2–4; 1 Peter 1:2).
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