Tuesday, December 01, 2009

was his glory veiled?

I love the Kendrick song, The Servant King, so this is in no way a rant. It's simply a question, raised by one of the lines in the song.

"Entered our world, your glory veiled" is, I imagine, cognate with Wesley's "Veiled in flesh the Godhead see" and possibly draws on the statements of Philippians 2 with respect to Jesus making himself nothing (but notice Paul doesn't speak of Jesus divesting himself of divinity; he asserts rather that Jesus refused to exploit it).

My question - Was his glory veiled? - is asked in the light of John 1:14 where John declares that he and others "saw his glory" and discovered it to be "full of grace and truth".

Does he have in mind the transfiguration experience? I have to say that hadn't occurred to me until someone suggested it, but I don't find it especially persuasive.

Maybe the fact is his glory wasn't veiled by his taking on flesh but was hidden from sight by the unbelief of some who encountered him (John 1:10,11). Others, in humble trust, saw it and such see it still (2 Cor. 4:6).

And maybe that's Paul's point also in Phil. 2 - the glory of God is seen in his humility and humiliation, in his very refusal to use his position to his own advantage.

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