The glory of the church is always hidden, just as the cross hides the glory of Christ. In that hiding the glory of Christ is revealed to the world. The weakness of the man hung upon the cross shows the divine glory. This is the way of the disciples of Christ also. The church's glory is the cross, her glory is in the cross, and the glory of her weakness is that in her the cross is revealed. We should not be offended by her weakness any more than we are offended by the weakness of our Lord on the cross. We are to take up our cross and follow Him. Why should we be shocked that the church is cross-shaped in her daily life? Although they do not appear glorious as they wend their homeward way, the faithful are being fitted for the ultimate glory through the glorious weakness of the church. The world mocks the children of the church as insignificant and unimportant and yet the Lord gives them exalted names, titles, and offices. They are royal priests, a holy nation, His own possession, kings, judges, and the precious to the Lord. These are the titles and names with which the Lord addresses His own children. And why shouldn't He? He is the King, the high priest, the judge of all, and our most precious possession. Shouldn't the children also share in the father's honors and titles? Do not princes inherit the name king and their father's throne?

 

Our experience of the cross in the world will always need to be interpreted by God's Word. For our glory as the King's children is always hidden under the shadow of the cross. "The cross alone is our theology," as Martin Luther says. It gives meaning to all that we suffer. The suffering itself we will never understand. Think of the last time you had blood tests done. The technician said, "This will pinch for a second." And the needle stick is no worse than an insect sting. We would slap down the insect that bites us and then complain about the pain. We only understand the pain of the blood test because we know what it's for. The doctor tells us. The technician reassures us. So it is with the cross. Only the good Physician of soul and body is able to tell us what the stings of human suffering really mean. Only then can we suffer rightly under the shadow of God suffering in the crucified Christ.

 

Since the church is people; people redeemed by precious blood, that is the most valuable possession of the church and her most precious resource. I attended a wonderful Lutheran funeral for a dear friend over the weekend. What's wonderful about a funeral? At a funeral the meaning of suffering, life, death, the cross, and the glory of the life to come become clear. The church sings to the highest heaven the glorious hymns of her faith. She extols the power of the Christ to save. In the weakness of death she confesses the power of life. She knows that the faithful buried with Christ in baptism will rise to newness of life when He returns to call us from the grave to be with Him forever. The church calls the faithful to see the glory which is hidden and revealing that same glory.