Leithart
In our sermon text, Jesus speaks of the Father who hides and reveals things. We like the idea of a God who reveals things, but a God who hides things is disturbing.
Jesus is not the first to talk about the hiding and hidden God. Isaiah said, “You are a God who hides Himself,” and several prophets speak of the Lord hiding His face from His rebellious people, and several Psalms are pleas that God would not hide.
None is more vivid than Moses in Deuteronomy. The Lord says, “ My anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide My face from them, and they will be consumed . . . . I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they will do, for they will turn to other gods.”
On the other hand, the Lord refuses to hide His plans for Sodom from Abraham, and Amos says that the Lord does not hide His counsel from His prophets.
What’s the difference? There are many ways to answer that, but Jesus gives one key answer in our sermon text: The Father hides “these things from the wise and intelligent and reveals them to babes.” God hides from those who think highly of themselves, and reveals Himself and His will to those who humble themselves like small children.
Pride is a main source of many of our confusions in daily life – confusions about relationships, about marriage, about children, about the future, about our vocation, about God’s will for us. God is light, and when He hides His face, there can only be darkness and confusion.
If you want to see clearly, if you want the face of God to shine on you and your path, humble yourself, admit your weakness and ignorance, stop thinking that you have all the answers. Humble yourself, and the Lord who hides will reveal these things.
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