This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!

Sermon for Transfiguration Sunday – March 3, 2019

Year C RCL

Exodus 34:29-35

2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2

Luke 9:28-36

Psalm 99

Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"--not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

Today is the last Sunday before we start the season of Lent.  `Wednesday is Ash Wednesday when we enter into a time of preparation for the feast of Easter.  It is a time we are called to listen to God in our lives and to prepare our hearts to go with Jesus to Calvary on Good Friday and to witness with the women the empty tomb on Easter.  The last Sunday before Easter we always read the story of the Transfiguration.  A story that the commentators always talk about being difficult to understand and difficult to preach.  I actually love the transfiguration.  In part that is due to it being the central theme to one of my practical theology classes in seminary. 

Up to this point in our Gospel narrative of Luke Jesus has been traveling through the country and healing the sick and casting out demons.  Except in Nazareth where the crowds almost throw Jesus off the cliff!  Jesus has sent the disciples out to also proclaim the good news and to heal the sick in the communities that Jesus would be passing through.  During his travels – and just before this part of the narrative Jesus asks the disciples who do people say he is, and they reply one of the prophets, perhaps John the Baptist come back to life – which would be strange since John was beheaded after Jesus started his ministry!  Then Jesus asks the disciples who do they say he is!  At which point Peter proclaims that Jesus is “God’s Messiah!”  Peter gets it… for now…

So now we have Jesus with Peter, James, and John up on mount Tabor - what we now call the Mount of the Transfiguration.  Jesus is withdrawing with his inner circle to pray – which we see Jesus doing regularly after a lot of healing ministry – Jesus is practicing what we would call today good “self-care”.  And something remarkable happens.

Jesus is transfigured – a strange word transfigured – Jesus is changed.  Suddenly he is glowing as he encounters the holy.  Just like Moses glowed after encountering God on the mountain as Moses received the Law so Jesus glows.  It is the same dazzling light emanating from Jesus that the women will encounter when they see the risen Christ on Easter Day.  And the disciples – although we are told they are weighed down with sleep – are awake and witness this amazing change.  They witness the glory of God shining forth through Jesus.  And they witness Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus about the next phase of his ministry.  A ministry that will set Jesus’ face toward Jerusalem where he will confront the rulers one too many times and finally be put to death.  The word Luke uses for departure is the same in the Greek for Exodus.  Moses and Elijah – two prophets that led people through an exodus away from pain and suffering into relationship with God talk about Jesus’ upcoming exodus.  An exodus where Jesus will show us the way from pain and suffering to a love that is indescribable.

Jesus exodus is not just about a journey of forgiveness.  David Lose, a preacher nary that I follow said “Yet it’s easy to forget that the cross is not simply, or perhaps even primarily, about making forgiveness possible (Jesus has already been doing a lot of forgiving up to this point), much less paying God off for our sin, but rather is about freedom, release from captivity, and establishing an open future.”^[1] 

Jesus is taking us on an exodus to turn our world right side up.  An exodus that challenges us to act at all times out of a place of love.  An exodus that leads us to operate out of an instinct that recognizes that our call is to provide healing to the sick, and to feed the hungry, as a primary motivation.  Jesus is leading us during lent on an Exodus away from the greed of the world to a place where all of God’s beloved creation is seen as good.  A journey that seems impossible to take at times – especially when we see the huge polarization that is happening in our society.  How are we to love those that refuse to love the immigrant, those who refuse to feed and clothe the naked? 

It is not easy, but Jesus is calling us to love all of God’s beloved creation.  Even to the point that we love our enemy and those we feel are doing wrong.  And we love them by modeling and showing that there is a better way.  A way that God calls us to model just as Jesus showed us a way of Love.  A love that will lead to the cross.  A love that will stretch out God’s arms of love and call God’s beloved children to God’s embrace – even on the cross.  And that is not easy, but God is there to help us and to remind us that we are God’s children and we are called to continue to bring about God’s dream of love to our communities and to the world.

[pause]

One of the parts of the transfiguration story that I love is the disciple’s reaction to seeing the Devine shine through Jesus and witnessing Moses and Elijah.  Peter wants to build three dwelling on the mountain so that they can preserve this moment.  Peter who just before this confessed Jesus as the Messiah – the one who is to bring about the work of God’s salvation – now wants to create a shrine to God.  Peter wants to freeze this amazing moment.  I can imagine Peter creating this place for Jesus, Moses and Elijah and putting up road side signs to come and see the spectacular transformation.  A little like driving up the coast of California and seeing the signs to see the mighty wonders in the redwoods.  And I always chuckle that now on the mount of the transfiguration, where tradition tells us that this event took place, there is a church building.  And in the church building there is a large Jesus chapel and two side chapels – one for Moses and one for Elijah.  The current church only daters from the 1920’s but it is built on the site of churches that go back to around the 4^th century.  So it only took 400 years or so for Peter to get his dwellings on the mountain! 

When we encounter the Holy we too want to preserve the moment.  We want to capture it so that we can find in again when our lives are difficult.  I have experienced some amazing breakthrough s of God’s love.  I have experienced them in some unlikely places with some unlikely people.  I experienced God’s love breakthrough when I was a hospice chaplain and had people who had for most purposes lost their voices to Alzheimer’s or dementia suddenly speak coherently just before they passed away.  I have experienced the joy of God’s love when a homeless member of this congregation brought me a sandwich when I was studying for finals in the clergy office while I was in seminary.  And I certainly experienced it when I was ordained here in this space.  All moments that I would love to encase in amber so that I can return to them over and over again.

The last thing that happens during the transfiguration is that the heavens open and the voice of God is heard.  It should sound familiar this time as it echoes the voice we heard at the time of Jesus baptism in the River Jordan by John.  This time God says to us "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!"  God’s voice was not for the benefit of Jesus.  It was for Peter, James, John… and us.  Because like Peter we sometimes listen to God, we sometimes get why Jesus walked among us in human form and sometimes we don’t. 

Just like Peter who at one moment declares that Jesus is “God’s Messiah” and in almost the next breath cannot believe that Jesus will go to Jerusalem and will be crucified.  Like Peter we cannot understand how Jesus willingly set his face to Jerusalem.  We cannot understand how the love that was born in human flesh on Christmas Day would be hung on a cross and seemingly die.  We cannot see those outstretched arms on the cross for what they are – the arms of love outstretched and desiring nothing more than to draw us into the love that would not die.  Calling us to turn around.  Metanoia – to repent – to turn around.  Calling us to work to change our world into one that operated from an economy of love instead of from an economy of greed.

This lent we are called to listen to Jesus.   We are called to set some time aside so that we will be able to hear God calling us into love. 

One way is to join a Lenten study group.  Loreen Kleinschmidt and Anne Slakey will be leading a Lenten Study Group that will meet on Saturday March  9, 10-noon in the church.  Next Saturday’s topic will be Sacramental Rites. The book they have been using is Walk in Love: Episcopal Beliefs and Practices by Scott Gunn and Melody Wilson Shobe, which is available at the Cathedral bookstore or online.

This is the second half of our 2 part study. If you weren’t part of the first half but would like to participate, now is the time to join.

On this transfiguration Sunday and during lent I invite you to find ways to listen to Jesus.  Find some time to listen to his call to love.  To listen to Jesus’ call to us to be partners in bringing about a love that is indescribable. A love that refuses to die – even on the cross.

Amen.

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^[1] http://www.davidlose.net/2019/03/transfiguration-c-listen-to-him/  accessed March 2, 2019

Jesus turns thing's upside down - or is it right side up?

Sermon for March 18, 2018

Lent 5B – RCL

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Psalm 51:1-13

Hebrews 5:5-10

John 12:20-33

Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.

“Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.

Today’s lessons show two sides of Jesus.  In our lesson from Paul’s letter to the Hebrew’s Paul writes that “Jesus offered prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears”.  We hear from Paul in this passage a very human Jesus.  The one we will remember during Holy Week crying and agonizing in the garden of Gethsemane for the Father to take the cup – the coming cross – from him.  In the Gethsemane we have an image of Christ praying so hard and agonizing over the events that were about to take place – yet in the end acknowledging that what he came into the world to accomplish was about to happen.  In the letter from Hebrew’s and the other Gospel’s, especially Mark where we glimpse more of Jesus’ humanity than we do in our reading today from John.

In John there is never a question that Jesus is the very word of God.  The very creative force that has taken human form to walk with us.  To suffer with us and ultimately to be put to death to prove that God’s love will not die.  The Gospel of John gives us more of the divine side of Jesus. 

Today’s Gospel comes just after Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem – the one we will remember next week on Palm Sunday.  Jesus has just finished a whirl wind of ministry that included the raising of this friend Lazarus from the dead.  Jesus’ ministry has fully enraged the religious and secular powers in Jerusalem.  They are not happy with this itinerate Rabbi because he is turning their economy up-side down.  In the raising of Lazarus they see Jesus even turning death into life. 

Indeed the word about Jesus’ amazing ministry has spread beyond Israel and the Roman occupation.  Today’s reading has “some Greek’s” wanting to see Jesus.  The Greek’s represent the civilized world outside of Israel.  The word has gotten out and now the world wants to see this Jesus.  The world wants to witness the casting out of demons, the curing of the incurable, and the conquering of death.

In response we hear Jesus say that his ministry is finished.  It is time.  Time for the grain of wheat to go into the ground so that it can multiply.  It is time for Jesus to show that the Love that is God will not die.  In this passage there are no tears but instead we see a confident Jesus who is going to finalize his human ministry by turning human economy and human sensibilities upside down.

This reading from John is all about turning things upside down – or really it is about Jesus turning things right-side up.  Jesus tells us that those who love their life will lose it and those who hate their life will keep it forever.  What?  This is madness!  But listen again.  Jesus is telling us that if our priority is only on ourselves.  If we only focus on our inward beings we are in trouble.  We need to focus on spreading God’s dream of Love into our world.  And if we do that we will have eternal life. 

And how do we do that?  Jesus again turns it upside down.  Jesus says we spread God’s love not by being powerful but by serving.  Jesus tells us that power over others is not what God desires but for us to serve one another.  When we allow our preoccupation with self to stop driving our actions then we can be one of that multitude that comes from the death of the grain of wheat. 

This is so upside-down from what we hear in our secular world.  A world that carefully maintains accounts to make sure that our side has more than the other.  A world that operates out of a place of scarcity so that we have to make sure that we get what is coming to us now.  A world that sees enemies in those who we think compete for the resources we desire.  A world that demonizes the other instead of celebrating the wonderful diversity of God’s creative being.

This self-centered, power hungry economy is the one that God desires to turn around.  God so loves us that God, as Jesus, took on humanity to show us that we can be something different.  Jesus’ humanity shows us that we can serve others without losing something of value.  Jesus’ shows us that God’s economy is the inverse of our economy.

It is sad that over two-thousand years later we still struggle to understand this.  We still seek power.  Our society still demeans those we see as lower than us.  Our society still see refugees and immigrants as the problem.  Our society still sees those who are sick as weak.  We still treat gender issues as binomial and hierarchical – men and women with the woman in her place.  And sometimes our churches are no better than secular institutions.  God desires nothing more than for us to put an end to this human economy.  God desires nothing more than for us to listen and to follow God’s example in Jesus. 

Because power is so seductive it is hard to topple that power.  Again this week the young people in our midst are working to topple power.  In response to the Parkland school shooting young people all around the country are saying enough.  Enough of policies that protect the powerful.  Enough of blaming mental illness for killing people.  Enough of this nonsense that we need to have uncontrolled access to powerful weapons.  In response we are seeing some of our leaders truly looking for ways that will make schools safe.  Ways that will keep powerful military grade weapons out of the hands of those who should not have them.  Unfortunately, we also have leaders who are demonizing the young people.  We have leaders who put them down and even worse we have people who threaten the young leaders with death threats. 

Once again, a tragedy is showing us that our economy is up-side down.  Once again, the vulnerable are leading us from a place of service.  Once again, if we only will listen, we hear God calling us back.  Back to an economy that is different.  An economy that values servanthood.  An economy that sees all of God’s creation as being very good.  In John’s Gospel we hear God speaking very loudly that Jesus is glorifying God.  That Jesus servanthood is a model we should follow. 

The response to Jesus’ model will be the peak of man’s inhumanity.  The response we will hear next week and on Good Friday will be to condemn that servanthood to death.  To condemn to death the love that walked among us to show us a better way. 

We know the good news in all of this.  We know the ending.  We know that God’s Love cannot be killed.  We know in our hearts that every time we try to kill God’s love by hating our neighbor.  That every time we try to kill God’s love by demonizing the other – demonizing the immigrant.  demonizing the GLBT community.  Every time we try to kill that Love that it refuses to die.  Every time that we try to kill Love we see it sprout up in the most unlikely places in the most unlikely people. 

I invite you this next two weeks to walk with Christ.  I invite you to witness with Christ man’s reaction to God’s right-side up economy.  I invite you to dare to go with Christ to the foot of the cross – where we will witness man’s violent reaction to maintaining power at any cost.  It is only by witnessing our inhumanity can we celebrate and work to bring the promise of Easter into our lives.  A promise that God’s love never dies.  A promise that God’s creation is good.  Indeed it is very good!