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Last
Sunday after Epiphany
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Year A
RCL |
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter
and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his
clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and
Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to
be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for
Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright
cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the
Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” When the disciples heard
this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and
touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” And when they looked up,
they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.
As
they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the
vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
Today is the last Sunday before
lent. And as is the tradition of the
church we end the season of the Epiphany with the story of the
transfiguration. A story that is so
familiar to me that I can tell it – in my own words – without opening a
bible. A story that in many ways I love
because it speaks to me about both the divinity of Jesus but also about the
humanity of the disciples – especially Peter.
But I also struggle a little with
how it makes sense for us today. Do we
need a mountaintop transfiguration? Do
we need to have a vision of Jesus both as human – walking down the road with
this disciples, sharing meals, teaching – and as divine – with the light of God
shining in and through him as on the mountain top? Do we need to hear the message from God on
that mountain top now?
This story takes place 6 days
after Jesus asked the disciples who do people say that he is and then follows
up with asking the disciples who they think he is. It is six days after Peter declares that
Jesus is the Messiah – the Son of God.
Jesus has been telling the disciples that he is going to be a very
different messiah from the one they were expecting. That this messiah is going to willing walk
into Jerusalem, will be arrested, killed, and will rise after three days. And Peter is having none of it. So off to the mountain top they go. And when Jesus is transfigured and Moses and
Elijah appear Peter wants to freeze the scene.
Peter and the other two, James and John, have just had the heavens open
and caught a glimpse of what is to come.
A world transfigured. A world
changed.
Peter doesn’t want the moment to end. He wants to build three shelters for these
great people. One for Jesus, one for
Moses and one for Elijah. He wants to enshrine
God, the Law and the Prophets and sit at their feet for eternity.
When we capture a glimpse of the
divine we most likely have the same reaction.
Let us sit here for awhile – a long while. Let us revel in our thin places and spend
time with God.
Last year when I, along with
Deacon Sonya and other soon to be ordained or newly ordained folk where on
pilgrimage there where many thin places that seemed to demand that I stay. The site where we remember Jesus feeding the
5,000 on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, the Mount of the Transfiguration – where
this event is remembered – and where there is now a lovely church with three
chapels – one to Jesus, One commemorating, Moses and one commemorating
Elijah!
And the one site that was nearly
impossible to leave was the site of the crucifixion in the Church of the Holy
Sepulcher. All places where the veil
between human and divine seemed so so thin.
Places that caught me up short and made me want to stay. I wanted to build a tent and to literally let
the holy wash over me. But that is not
what God asked of me. And it is not what God asked of the Disciples and it is
not what God is asking of all of us.
Listen to what God actually said
on that mountain. This is my son. Listen to him. Be raised up. And, Do not be afraid.
Listen. Something that I sometimes find hard to
do. I am so busy that I don’t make
enough time just to listen to God. What
is God asking me to do? What is God asking the church to do? There is certainly change afoot – just as
Jesus was trying to tell the disciples in their time. And we need to figure out what it means. How do we respond as a community? David Lose – another preacher who I follow
said, “And while we may disagree on just what we hear – that’s the challenge of
communal discernment, after all; we actually are a community, not a monolith – yet
we agree that the best way to understand God is to look to Jesus and listen to
him. To pay attention to what Jesus says and does, to whom he reaches out, to
those he gives attention and help. Yes, we may not all agree, but we might also
confess that if we all keep trying to listen to Jesus together – and trust that
is what even the people who disagree with us are doing – we will get closer to
what God intends for us.”[1]
We may not agree on what the
change means – whether it is good or bad.
But there will be change and how we respond is what matters. Can we find it on our heart to follow the
great commandment to Love others?
Especially when we don’t agree with them. Can we find ways to not demonize those who
are creating change? Change that we may not like? Can we find a way to see the transfigured
Glory of God in our world? Now? Because I know deep in my heart that the thin
places where Gods glory shines through are all around me. I know that we can and will find it. We need to take the time to listen for God’s
presence and to figure out – in community where we are called to act.
The Second thing we hear is that
we need to get up – or better to be raised up.
That God is going to raise us up and that we need to not get lost in
just the listening but we need to take action.
We need to hear what God asks us to do and then to get out of our
tabernacles, our churches, our safe places and go do ministry. What ministry depends on what God is asking
us to do. And it is different for each
person and community. We are not all
asked by God to do the same things – thanks be to God! In my secular position
as a scientist I believe God is calling me to come up with ways to protect the environment. To care for this fragile earth our island
home. I also believe that God has called
me to be a priest. To provide the
sacraments to folk and to hopefully be a guide to the thin places where we can
listen to God.
It can be a challenge to do the
things God asks us to do. Because in many cases we are called to leave our
comfort zones. To talk to people we don’t
like – or perhaps just don’t understand.
We are called as Christians to help bring about God’s transfigured
presence of Love into this world. We
know it’s here now but also not here now.
There are times and places where we see the love of God but there are
also places where we see the need to spread that love. And that does not happen when we are sitting
in comfort. We need to get up. Get out.
And do what God is calling us to do.
Which brings me to the final thing
– that we hear from Jesus – and which is a recurring message from God in the
scriptures. Be not afraid. When we are doing the ministry that we are
called to do God knows that we will be called out of our comfort zones. Let me tell you going to seminary in my 50’s
was outside my comfort zone. It had been
a quarter of a century sense I was in college.
I know that opening up the sacraments to people is a gift and a privilege
– and sometimes is outside of my comfort zone.
And in these places we are reminded – do not be afraid.
When we follow Jesus commands – when
we listen to him – we will be called to feed the hungry, both physically and
spiritually, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and those in prison. All actions that will take us places where we
will be fearful. But God tells us “Do not be afraid” God is with us in those situations and will
comfort and heal us. This is not a
reason to go out and put ourselves in absolute danger – God is not going to
suddenly makes us super-beings that can withstand bullets. But God is going to be with us. By our sides.
Comforting those fears so that we can do ministry. And some people are called to do ministry is
places of violence and danger. And I am
awed by those people. Some of us are
called to accompany the dying – a thing that our society is afraid of – to see
death as a continuation and not an end.
What ever our ministry God reminds
us to not be afraid. Because when we
listen and get up and do ministry our eyes will be opened to the transfigured
presence of God and we too will be transfigured.
The story of the transfiguration
is a perfect way to move from the season of Epiphany to the season of
Lent. The season of lent is a journey
that many times we don’t want to go on.
The journey from the top of the mountain that leads to confrontation
with powers that demean people. A
confrontation that leads to the death of Christ. It is a part of our faith that many struggle
with. But it is a story where we know
the ending. It is ultimately not a story
of death but of life. But to get to life
we have to go through the hard places.
The places where we might not see God.
To travel with Jesus through the hardships and betrayals allows us not
to be afraid when we face hardship and betrayal. To know that whatever journey we are on right
now that God is with us. That God
understands because we see that God takes the same journeys. That the journey never really ends in
absolute death but in resurrection. That
is a promise that our world doesn’t understand.
But it is real.
So as we enter into the season of
lent - Listen to God. Get up – be raised up for ministry. And be not afraid. Try on new ministries – perhaps read a daily
office that you don’t’ normally read.
Perhaps go visit people and listen to people who are not like us. Perhaps try to see the transfigured joy that
really does exist in this world – no matter what the pundits or the naysayers
tell you. Because we know the ending and
it is all about Love. It is all about the great feast that God promises us is
always around us and where we always have a seat at Gods abundant table.
Amen.
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