A Simple Touch

This sermon was heard at the First Presbyterian Church in Berryville, Arkansas on Transfiguration of the Lord Sunday, February 3, 2008.

Exodus 24:12-18
Psalm 2
2 Peter 1:16-21
Matthew 17:1-9

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen

Failure to thrive is a medical condition which can affect new-born children and infants. Not a disease per se, it is a general diagnosis with many possible causes. What is common in all cases is the child does not gain weight as expected. As a result of poor weight gain, these children often experience poor height growth too. With so many possible reasons for this diagnosis, treating a child who fails to thrive focuses on identifying any number of underlying problems.[1]

Common causes of this condition include gastro-intestinal disorders. Some of the possible ailments which could trigger this include gastroesophageal reflux, chronic diarrhea, cystic fibrosis, chronic liver disease, and celiac disease. With reflux, eating can become coupled with painful gas and vomiting. Chronic diarrhea prevents nourishment from staying in the body long enough to be absorbed. Cystic fibrosis, chronic liver disease, and celiac disease can all make the body unable to absorb nutrients from food.

Issues of poverty can also contribute to failure to thrive. The children of women unable to breast feed who cannot afford formula may show the symptoms of this condition. In young children, a family’s inability to purchase nourishing food when a baby goes off the bottle can also lead to failure to thrive. But there is another possible cause for this condition.

One of the factors that can lead to failure to thrive is emotional deprivation as a result of parental withdrawal, rejection, or hostility.[2] As dire as poor health and poor nutrition can be to the physical development of a baby, the attitude and behaviors of the parents can be just as influential.

A couple of years ago, there was a TV documentary about the conditions of Eastern European orphanages.[3] This was at a time when poverty was so extreme that many children were being abandoned to orphanages. Of course the orphanages themselves were understaffed and overstretched. But one of the things the people noticed is that the babies in the orphanage who were held were far healthier, far more attentive than those who were left alone in their cribs. With all other things being equal, it was a touch from another that helped these babies thrive and gave them a chance to live.

Today we read one of scripture’s greatest miracles of the revelation of Jesus to his apostles, the transfiguration. This word, transfiguration, literally means “to change face” or as we would understand it “to change appearance.” And on the mountain Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James, and John.

His face shone like the sun and his clothes became dazzling white, as white as light. Suddenly, this simple Palestinian carpenter wasn’t engulfed by light; he was the source of a light as bright as the sun. His clothes were whiter than alabaster, whiter than the palest moon. And then appearing not to him but with him were the two greatest heroes of the faith, Moses and Elijah. And they were talking with Jesus. They were giving Jesus honor and praise.

This was when a voice suddenly came from a bright cloud that came over them like a white fog saying the words last heard when Jesus was baptized, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him.”

These apostles were fishermen; they probably weren’t at the Jordan to hear the words of the voice that declared “This is my Son.” But I can imagine two things, first is that they had heard the story, these men knew these words and they knew the power and authority of the one who spoke them. Further, overshadowed by the bright light, what ever they had thought of the story before, now, in this moment, the story has new presence, intimacy, and authority for their lives.

And they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear.

Well of course they fell to the ground! Of course they were overcome by fear! The sight of God’s perfect glory is a frightening thing. Such power, such authority, such joy and delight and fear come together so that there is nothing left to do but fall to the ground worshipping God. And the posture they took is a posture of worship.

These men had grown up knowing the story of Moses at the burning bush. They knew that they could not see God and live. And suddenly here’s Moses, with Elijah none the less, chatting up the man they had just followed up the mountain. Then just as suddenly they were swallowed by a bright cloud that told them who their Rabbi truly is, the Son of the one true God.

“Overcome by fear” might begin to describe how they felt.

But Jesus came and touched them saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” He touched them and he reassured them. This is what Jesus did. He didn’t give them the secret to life. He didn’t tell them what Moses and Elijah had been saying to him. He didn’t give them a way to clean their robes so theirs would be as white as snow. He touched them and with a word he reassured them. This is what Jesus did.

Now, imagine how they might have responded if Jesus had not touched and reassured them. Imagine the fear that would have continued to overwhelm them. They would have been scarred by such a terrifying experience. Their terror would change them, and how we know them. They would have failed to thrive. But this is not what the Lord does; with a simple touch he reassured them.

As the Body of Christ on earth, our challenge is two-fold. We are to carry on the work of Jesus; going to those who are overcome by fear, those who are terrified. And we are to touch them saying, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” We are witnesses to the grace and the peace and the glory of Jesus the Christ who walked the earth as a Palestinian Jew two-thousand years ago and continues to walk with us today; empowering us through the Holy Spirit for the work of the church for all of creation. We are the ones who are called to gather and welcome the broken people of the world and through God’s love make us one.

Gary Chapman is an author who wrote “The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate.”[4] Chapman writes that our relationships strengthen as we show our mates love in ways they value. He explains that every person feels most loved when love is expressed through one of five modes: words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, and physical touch.[5] (Oh, and physical touch is more than just sex.)

Using Chapman’s model, Jesus showed the three apostles his love through physical touch and words of affirmation. Of course I’m sure Jesus didn’t have Chapman in mind when he reached out with his hand and his encouraging words. Still, Jesus knew his disciples needed his simple touch; and he knew how it would change their lives. He knew that his words, “do not be afraid,” would save them from their terror.

And this is one of the great lessons of the transfiguration; the power and glory of God are wonderful, and joyous, and terrifying. In the raw presence of God we have no real choice other than to be overwhelmed. As we are overcome by the glory that surrounds us, there is a hand and a word calling us not to be afraid.

The song Ken[6] sang today is by Bill Gaither. The chorus goes like this:

He touched me,
Oh he touched me
And oh the joy that floods my soul
Something happened and now I know
He touched me and made me whole.[7]

The Lord Jesus touches us and makes us whole. As the body of Christ on earth, we are called to continue to offer this touch. Does this mean we are to physically touch everyone we see? No, that would get us kicked out of Wal-Mart in a flat second.

Jesus makes it clear in the last verse in our reading that one size does not fit all when he tells the three to tell no one about the vision. Why didn’t Jesus want them to tell the world what had happened? Why didn’t he bring everyone up the mountain to see the transfiguration? Perhaps it is because this vision was meant just for the three of them. And based on the Word of the New Testament, they overcame their fears becoming great leaders.

Does this mean that the other apostles were second class disciples because they did not experience this image of God’s glory? No, it just meant that what they needed was different. Chapman would say they had different love languages. And if we give love to someone in a language they don’t understand, it’s like we don’t give them love at all.

When appropriate, yes, we are to touch. And we should also consider Chapman’s love languages. We can give a smile, or a word of encouragement. We can spend time with someone. We can give gifts of ourselves and our works. We can do service for others who need our help, who need to see the light of God in the world. We can give a school child a back pack. We can give a thirsty person cold water. We can offer a prayer on their behalf. We can visit people who are alone and frightened.

And no matter how we share the message, to coin a phrase from Chapman, regardless of the love language we use; we are to share the message Jesus shared with his disciples on that mountain top so long ago. “Get up and do not be afraid.” In this word, Jesus reminds his disciples that he is with them. In this word, Jesus reminds us, his disciples, that he is still with us.

It’s funny. One of the things most young people learn on overseas mission trips is the depth and breadth of the faith and devotion of the people they have come to serve, the people they have come to bear witness to the glory of God. Often people who go on overseas mission trips receive far more than they give. For God, results like that aren’t uncommon. It is wonderful and joyful and glorious and sometimes more than a little bit frightening.

This is our call, this is our vocation. We are the hands of the body of Christ in the world, offering the touch of his love and his peace to a terrified world that is showing its own symptoms of failure to thrive. We are to be the voice of God in this world saying “do not be afraid.” And it’s also one of the glorious aspects of this giving, when we give through the power of the Holy Spirit, we tend to receive more than we could ever hope or imagine. Jesus tells us, the disciples of two-thousand years, “get up and do not be afraid” so that we may share the same message with the broken people of the world.

[1] Failure to Thrive, http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_fit/nutrition/failure_thrive.html, retrieved February 1, 2008.
[2] Failure to Thrive, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000991.htm, retrieved February 1, 2008.
[3] Actually Marie saw this documentary and told me about it. Yet this is what I remember of what she told me.
[4] Chapman, Gary, “The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate.” 2nd Edition. Chicago: Northfield Press, 2004.
[5] Gary Chapman’s Five Love Languages; Learn the Languages, http://www.fivelovelanguages.com/learn.html, retrieved February 1, 2008. Chapman has also published versions for singles, families, military personal, counselors, ministers, and co-workers.
[6] Ken is our Worship Leader and has a wonderful voice. His wife Lee Ellen plays piano for the church too.
[7] Gaither, William, “He Touched Me” 1964 William J. Gaither, Inc. ARR UBP of Gaither Copyright Management, First Presbyterian Church CCLI license number 2719984, accessed February 1, 2008.