The Church - Hidden Under the Cross

In the adult Bible study, we've been discussing the fact that the Church always appears weak and on the brink of death. The Church's life, too, is hidden under the cross. Walther uses the word "invisible" rather than "hidden". "The church in the proper sense of the word is invisible" (Church and Ministry [St. Louis: Concordia, 1987] p. 38). That is to say, the Church, or the Kingdom of God as it is often called in the Gospels, "does not come with observation" (Luke 17:20; cf. Kurt E. Marquart, The Church and Her Fellowship, Ministry, and Governance [St. Louis: The Luther Academy, 1990] p. 17, from which the name of this blog is stolen). The Kingdom, the Church, is present now in a hidden way (thus perhaps the word "hidden" is preferable to "invisible"). Now, the Church appears weak. There are hypocrites in her midst. She is assaulted within and without by the human iniquity of believers and hypocrites alike. It appears to human reason as though there is no hope for her salvation (hmmm, reminds me of the Kingdom of Israel in the Old Testament). It appears as though she will never be pure. She cannot measure up to the ideal. Many in our fellowship (the LCMS) are tempted to look for greener pastures elsewhere. The grass may look greener on the other side, but if it does, it's probably because the view is deluded by an ecclesiology of glory. The ecclesiology of the cross has to call the thing what it is, the Church what it is, namely, the people of God, holy believers, whose lives and life together are hidden under suffering and weakness... the cross.

But not forever. When our Lord returns, what is hidden under suffering and weakness will be brought to light and made fully manifest. Then, the glory will no longer be a delusion, but a fully revealed reality. The glorious Kingdom of God is fully and completely and already ours now... but in a hidden way. But wait patiently on the Lord. "Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Rev. 2:10).