Echoes

This sermon was heard at the First Presbyterian Church in Marshall, Texas on Sunday March 6, 2010, Transfiguration of the Lord Sunday.

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

Today we read what is in my opinion 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.”  The essence is the same, but the appearance is different.  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 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.

This was when a voice suddenly came from a bright cloud that came over them like a white fog saying the words last spoken when Jesus was baptized, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased.”  This time these words come with an added instruction, “Listen to him.”

These apostles were fishermen so they probably weren’t at the Jordan when Jesus heard these words from above.  But I can imagine this, overshadowed by the bright light, hearing these words for themselves, everything that they had ever experienced, heard, or thought was now far more personal and intimate than they had ever dared imagine.

So they fell to the ground terrified.

Well of course they fell to the ground!  Of course they were terrified!  The sight of God’s perfect glory should cause anyone to be overcome with fear.  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.  Even if the posture they took was a posture of worship, they fell to the ground terrified.

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 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.

“Terrified” might begin to describe how they felt.

They were told to listen, and in this time listening meant more than just hearing.  It meant much, much more.  It meant hearing and it also meant understanding.  Beyond that, to listen meant to respond.  This simple sentence from the cloud revealed to Peter, James, and John that beyond any doubt Jesus is the long awaited Lord and Messiah and they were being called to his obedience.  They were told that Jesus is the beloved of God and they were to listen to him.

Then, still cowering in worship, Jesus came and touched them saying, “Get up and don’t 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 or he to them.  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.  I 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; but the Lord does not leave them to stew in their terror; with a simple touch he reassured them.

At this point in the gospel of Matthew, reassurance is something that is both needed and welcomed.  In the previous chapter, Jesus declares to his disciples that he will suffer.  What a tremendous and horrible image for any people, their Lord and master suffering.  Of course this horror will not stand, and Peter is just the guy to rebuke God Incarnate.  Peter says “God forbid!”  Jesus says “You do not have the things of God in your mind.”  Our Lord calls the rock “Satan” and tells him to get back.  Yes, Peter could use some encouragement at this moment.

Then, just a single verse after our reading, Jesus foretells his suffering again.  Then the disciples ask an interesting question, “Why do the why the teachers of the law say Elijah must return first?”  It’s a sensible question, if the Messiah is here and Elijah had to come first, where is or was Elijah?

Jesus declares Elijah did return and the people didn’t recognize him.  The people did with him as they pleased, finally allowing him to be executed on the word of a child.  Jesus revealed to them that he was talking about Elijah returned as John the Baptist.  So in one sentence, these disciples heard the truth about the death of Elijah and John.

This is how John the Baptist died.  This is how Elijah died, and the stones did not cry out.  Again words of consolation were welcomed and appreciated.

But in the middle of this screaming in pain and suffering, in the midst of suffering past and future, there is a clarion call of hope, there is a cry of peace, there is a vision of the past, the present and little did they know, the future.

In the midst of these prophecies of suffering, there is an echo to the past, a past when Jesus accepts our condition in the waters of his baptism.  We, the people who receive this gospel, listen to the echo of the words heard at his baptism.

We too are called to listen, learn, and respond to the Word of God.

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 peace and 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.

And this is another 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.

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 these three disciples.  And based on the Word of the New Testament, they overcame their fears becoming great leaders of the Church of Christ.

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.

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 thirsty person cold water.  We can offer a prayer on their behalf.  We can visit people who are alone and frightened.

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 glories 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.  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.