Happenings

Sermons by Pastor Walter Snyder plus announcements, articles, videos, and anything else that doesn’t fit Ask the Pastor or the Luther Library.





01 September 2013

Sermon: Proper 17C (OT)

1 September AD 2013
Pentecost 15

Title: The God Who Hides (MP3 Audio)

Jack Baumgartner: Moses in the Cleft Summary: “It is the glory of God to conceal” — thus God glorifies Himself in hiding from us so we are not struck dead by the sight of His unveiled holy majesty (cf. Exodus 33:20). Yet the Lord conceals Himself so that we might find Him where He promises to be revealed.

God’s greatest disappearing act was veiling Himself in human flesh. The Son accepted the mantle of humanity in His Incarnation and will never cast this garment aside. The Christmas carol proclaims, “Veiled in flesh the Godhead see” — and Jesus continues to reveal Himself in body and blood as we commune.

However, God not only hides Himself from us. He also hides us from Himself. He covers us with Christ’s blood, wraps us in the robes of righteousness, and thus avoids looking in judgment upon us poor sinners. He hides us in Jesus so He cannot see us to strike us dead. He also hides us in Jesus so Devil and world cannot find us and eternally destroy us.

Bacchiacca: Baptism of Christ Although we see Him not, God stands clearly revealed in Word, in Sacrament, in Church. And though His wrathful eye cannot find us, He yet sees us in His Son — and seeing, He showers us with love.

Text: It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out. As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the heart of kings is unsearchable.

Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel; take away the wicked from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness.

Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great, for it is better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.

Cranach the Younger: Melanchthon Baptizing a Baby What your eyes have seen do not hastily bring into court, for what will you do in the end, when your neighbor puts you to shame? Argue your case with your neighbor himself, and do not reveal another’s secret, lest he who hears you bring shame upon you, and your ill repute have no end. Proverbs 25:2-10

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Audio: Click to hear the MP3 of The God Who Hides, preached to the saints at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Waverly, Missouri.

NB: For some reason, a few people have had problems trying to play the inline audio if Windows Media is their default MP3 player. If this occurs, you can either change to QuickTime or another default browser player, copy and paste the link directly into a selected player, or download it to your computer, where it seems to work regardless of which player. Several folks have suggested VLC Player from VideoLAN.

Other Readings: Psalm 131; Hebrews 13:1-17; Luke 14:1-14

Painting Credits: Moses in the Cleft, © 2010 by Jack Baumgartner and used by his kind permission, at The School of the Transfer of Energy; Baptism of Christ by Bacchiacca at Web Gallery of Art; The Reformer Philipp Melanchthon Baptizing an Infant by Lucas Cranach the Younger at Wikipedia.

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