Good morning:
Perhaps you’ve seen or read some of the stories about CEOs or owners of large companies going undercover in their own company and working the most basic jobs of the company or coming in as a pretend customer. The Owner of heaven and earth comes to you in an undercover manner so to speak as well. 1 Chronicles 29:11 tells you that “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, And You are exalted as head over all.” Yet though, God is the owner of all heaven and earth He comes to you through word and sacrament.
CEOs and the owner’s of companies go undercover to gain some perspective, test the work culture, make sure customers are being treated properly, or something of that sort. God, though, goes undercover for another reason. All glory and majesty are certainly deserved by God and indeed required to be given to Him. Yet, God does not want forced obedience and forced praise. God wants you to give him glory and honor with cheerful hearts and a glad spirit. God has the power to force everyone to worship Him, but in His wisdom and justness, He does not. He gives that privilege to those whom He has called by His grace to faith in His name.
The Undercover Owner of the world then continually comes to you with His word. He teaches, guides, and instructs you in the ways of righteousness. He reminds you of the great amount of love He has for you by telling you of His patience with you, His longsuffering for you, and His forgiveness for you which He earned on the cross. The Undercover Owner of the world also continually comes to you through your remembrance of your baptism and practice of the sacrament of the Altar. Through the body and blood of Jesus you receive the surest sign of a self-sacrificing God of His forgiveness for you.
In Christ, Pastor Naumann
