The Foolishness and Hiddenness of God
In his 1518 Heidelberg Disputation, Martin Luther presented his theology of the cross. Theses 19 and 20 are especially important:
19. The man who looks upon the invisible things of God as they are perceived in created things does not deserve to be called a theologian.
20. The man who perceives the visible rearward parts of God as seen in suffering and the cross does, however, deserve to be called a theologian.
For Luther, “the sole authentic locus of man’s knowledge of God is the cross of Christ” (McGrath 149). It is there alone—in Christ’s suffering and death—that God has revealed himself to the world. But this revelation is not obvious: it is hidden. But how is this possible—a “hidden revelation”? While God is revealed in the Cross, he is revealed in a way that stands in diametrical opposition to human standards of wisdom. “In the very things which human wisdom regards as the antithesis of deity—such as weakness, foolishness and humility—God stands revealed in the ‘humility and shame of the cross’” (McGrath 149).
This concept may be elucidated by recognizing in Luther’s thesis 20 an allusion to Exodus 33:
18 Moses said, "Please show me your glory." 19 And he said, "I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name 'The Lord.' And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20 But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live." 21 And the Lord said, "Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, 22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.” (Ex. 33:18-23)
Man cannot see the most holy God directly, only indirectly. When God relates to man, God must limit himself to a form manageable to man (something that won’t kill man). That form is Christ, our God who became man. In Christ is God but it is only the “back” of God. Christ came not in power or majesty or glory but in weakness and suffering and humility. Does not Isaiah foretell this, the lowliness of the Messiah? saying:
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief… He was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (53:2-6)
In this sense, Christ and the cross are “the foolishness of God” of which Paul speaks in 1 Corinthians 1. So, Paul in 1 Corinthians 1 says that Christ and the cross are "a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles" (v. 23). The Jews expected the Messiah to come with strength and might and power, conquering and ruling by the sword. In general, the problem isn't necessarily that the world isn't looking; rather, the problem is that it's looking for the wrong thing. For the agreed on human concepts of wisdom, righteousness, and power are quite opposite to those of God. Yet, in weakness and foolishness God has been revealed, and as a result, the world is blind to the power and wisdom of God's revelation in Christ, who came in meekness and suffering. As Luther says,
It is not sufficient for anyone, and it does him no good to recognize God in his glory and majesty, unless he recognizes him in the humility and shame of the cross. Thus God destroys the wisdom of the wise, as Isa. [45:15] says, “Truly, thou art a God who hidest thyself.” (HD)
The hidden revelation of God in Christ can only be discerned by "the eye of faith.” Through faith, which is never earned by man but given to him by the grace of God in the Spirit, man is able to discern God hidden in the revelation of the cross of Christ. Those who seek God apart from Christ are like Philip, who said to Jesus, “Lord, show us the father” (Jn. 14:8). Listen to Jesus’ response: “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (Jn. 14:9). In Matthew, Jesus also speaks of similar matters:
25 At that time Jesus declared, "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; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. (Matt 11:25-27)
It is in light of these things that we should not only interpret 1 Corinthians 1 but also think about Christ and the cross. For “the cross alone is our theology” (Luther).
