Transfiguration Sunday 2008
Peter 1:16-21
Matthew 17:1-9
We all need a mountaintop experience of faith to sustain us in the valley of life. We need a few special spiritual companions to share the mystery of God. We need to walk up the mountain, to be alone, sit on the rock at the top and do some soul searching. When I was in the earliest phase of discernment, I would hike with a friend in the Catoctin Mountains. We discussed faith, the pull and confusion within, the uncertainty of what it means to be set apart for the work of the priesthood. I could not see clearly in the fast pace of my daily life, surrounded by friends fighting cancer, older members of our congregation facing the end of this earthly journey, walking with but not being able to change the course for we all walk toward God. The miracle is that God is with us in it and through it all.
Three times in the gospel we have Jesus select Peter, James and John for special experiences. The first is here in the account of the transfiguration, the second is to go aside and pray in the Garden of Gethsemane (26:37), and the third is in the post-resurrection appearances. The three may be symbolic as Peter became associated with the Church in Rome, James, the Church in Jerusalem, and John the community of the Essenes. If you or I were writing this account, we might select the gospel writers: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Why Jesus selected the three rather than taking the whole team is a mystery. We might relate to this selection as a reflection on how comfortable we are to share our faith journey. Rather than standing to share what we cherish as a special occasion of knowing God’s presence in our lives in the congregation we might share with a few special friends. We might write a story about the experience and use fictional names to mask the identity of ourselves and anyone else in the situation. When and how Matthew tells the story gives us some ideas about what we are to understand from it.
The timing, place, and experience are very similar to the account of Moses in Exodus 24. Moses went up on the mountain and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the Lord settled on mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud.” Matthew tells us, after six days, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, and they went on the mountain where Jesus was transfigured before them. Just as Moses face shown with the glory of the LORD, so here Jesus’ face shone like the sun, evidence of divine power and presence. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah talking with him. The same verb is used in Exodus 34:35 for Moses speaking with God. I wonder how Peter, James, and John knew the two men talking with Jesus were Moses and Elijah. Maybe they had on robes with names on the back like football jerseys or nametags, or some other photo id – after all they were crossing borders. It may be important that the figures of Moses and Elijah are there as symbols of law and prophets, rather than Aaron the high priest the interpreter of the law or David the king, defender of the state. Jesus did not appear with symbols of royalty or ritualism but with Moses who led the people out of oppression and Elijah whom King Ahab called “that trouble of Israel,” because he condemned the people’s comprise between true and false gods as underlying the cause of their problems.
Then Peter (always the spokesman) said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make here three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” Tents evoke the Exodus story, as that place where God’s presence is to be found. Does Peter want to enshrine the moment or is he remembering the troubling prediction of Jesus the day prior when Jesus told the disciples that he must suffer and die. Peter had received praise for confessing that Jesus was the son of God, but when he tried to protest about Jesus’ suffering and death, he had received rebuke. If the transfiguration follows that episode as Matthew tells the story, then if I were Peter, I would still be chewing on the exchange. I would be worried about what was going to happen. I would want to prevent it and building a nice sanctuary on the mountain with Moses and Elijah would seem a perfect solution. Of course, I have no way of knowing what Peter really was thinking and before Peter can finish his thoughts, God interrupted.
Matthew 17:5 reads, “While Peter was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them.” The cloud in Hebrew tradition is the sign of God’s hidden presence (Exodus 16;10, 19:9, Ezek 1:4, Dan 7:13). “And a voice from the cloud said, ‘this is my Son, the beloved; with him I am well pleased.” These are the same words God spoke at Jesus’ baptism. WE the reader recognize the connection, but we cannot assume the disciples did. The disciples are called after the baptism and temptation in the wilderness, as Jesus begins his ministry. To those familiar with Hebrew scriptures, the declaration reflects the suffering servant of Isa 42:1, the Davidic king anointed to manifest God’s power in a just reign which sustains the oppressed and vulnerable (Ps 2;7). Further, Jesus is God’s son/child, the beloved, and therefore in a special relationship with God the Father. For us, Jesus is the Son of God, who perfectly reveals the father.
God continued: LISTEN TO HIM! In my mind the command to listen should be highlighted in some way that makes the volume increase. The teaching, ministry, and mission of Jesus is to be seen, heard, and believed. Hush Peter and LISTEN. To listen means to understand and live according to the example of Jesus…to be faithful disciples. If Peter is remembering that Jesus has predicted his death, listening to Jesus could be painful and dangerous. The mind has the capacity to entertain many simultaneous images and thoughts. Here is the most dazzling scene of cloud, voice, appearance of long dead heroes of the faith, and a single command to Listen. Matthew tells that that when the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. I take their reaction as testimony to their sanity. Fear seems completely natural under these circumstances. Those who witnessed Jesus death on the cross were also “overcome with fear.” (Matt 27:54)
We have many active people in our congregation. We travel, we work, we do things. While at the meeting in New Orleans, I said our sign should say “what we do here matters” because of all the mission and ministry done in this small parish. I am proud of your responsiveness to others’ needs. When one of us is sick, you feed us or call us to convey your compassion. When someone in the community is in need of assistance you give it. Through the thrift shop you offer clothing of good quality and low cost; through mission trips to Honduras and the Gulf Coast you offer working hands to build an orphanage and rebuild homes. Through contributions you send cows and goats and chickens to families in Africa so that they too can be active, productive, and well. What you do here matters. Even as we are busy doing good things we also need to develop a discipline of being silent and listening. In the midst of our actions and conversations we may fail to hear the message God has for us. If we will live into our baptismal promises and hear the same affirmation of God that Jesus received, we must be receptive.
A group is forming in the parish to focus on prayer. Such a group will actively pray for everyone on our prayer list and at the same time I admonish them to be still and listen to God. The TAG team is actively trying to discern what we ought to offer in addition to our regular services in order to attract and serve more people in our community. We are creating a survey to interview folks and we need to listen to their replies. If we hear God calling us to do a special thing, we may be frightened because we are not sure how to do it, or what response we will receive, but that should not deter us from the task at hand. We are called to listen and respond faithfully.
Through the transfiguration God has revealed to Peter, James and John, who Jesus is. Knowing who Jesus is does not tell them what Jesus will do – how he will suffer, die and be raised. Jesus is the beloved Son of God – LISTEN TO HIM. If Peter will listen carefully and intently, he will hear that Jesus is not only to die but also to rise again. The journey of faith is a process through which we listen to divine instruction, experience the divine presence in our lives, and live by taking up our cross and following our LORD.
Jesus went to the disciples as they fell down in fear and comforted them. As they left the mountain to return to the work in their world, Jesus asked the three men to keep this experience in confidence until he was raised from the dead. The disciples were then transformed from fearful, anxious, inactive cowards to brave confident, active, champions of the faith. We too need this healing, life-giving transforming touch from Jesus. As much as we need Jesus to touch us, we also need to offer it to the world. Rather than appearing as God’s chosen people, we need to be human beings who offer healing and life-giving presence to the scared, worried, anxious people we meet.
When Jesus and the disciples came down from the mountain they found the other 9 trying unsuccessfully to heal an epileptic child. Jesus led them down the mountain to the hurting people, unbelieving officials and ineffective instutions. Real religion is not about building temples and keeping shrines. Real religion is about healing hurts, speaking for and being with the poor, the helpless, the voiceless and the forgotten who are at the silent bottom of every pinnacle, every hierarchy and every system in both state and church. Real religion is not about transcending life; it is about our transforming life. The gospel of the transfiguration calls us to be still and hear God, to be workers of mercy, giving irrational love to do the justice of God.
The transfiguration revealed who Jesus is and at the same time it was a transforming experience for the disciples. We need to be open to God’s mission in our world. We need occasionally to go apart, to the mountain top, to a cabin in the wood, or to a fishing creek to be silent, open, alert and aware of God speaking to us, calling us to simply and profoundly love our neighbors as ourselves. Transfiguration makes us aware of the presence of the divine in this world. When we see the world as God sees the world we become equipped to bring the world in line with God’s purpose and plan. Scripture teaches us that what God changes, God changes through Christ and through us as the living body of Christ in the world today.