Up a High Mountain-2-19-12

The Reading: 2 Peter 1:16-21
We weren't, you know, just wishing on a star when we laid the facts out before you regarding the powerful return of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We were there for the preview! We saw it with our own eyes: Jesus resplendent with light from God the [Creator] as the voice of Majestic Glory spoke: "This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of all my delight." We were there on the holy mountain with him. We heard the voice out of heaven with our very own ears.
We couldn't be more sure of what we saw and heard—God's glory, God's voice. The prophetic Word was confirmed to us. You'll do well to keep focusing on it. It's the one light you have in a dark time as you wait for daybreak and the rising of the Morning Star in your hearts. The main thing to keep in mind here is that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of private opinion. And why? Because it's not something concocted in the human heart. Prophecy resulted when the Holy Spirit prompted men and women to speak God's Word.

THE GOSPEL: Mark 9:2-9
Six days later, three of them did see it. Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain. His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. His clothes shimmered, glistening white, whiter than any bleach could make them. Elijah, along with Moses, came into view, in deep conversation with Jesus. Peter interrupted, "Rabbi, this is a great moment! Let's build three memorials— one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah." He blurted this out without thinking, stunned as they all were by what they were seeing.
Just then a light-radiant cloud enveloped them, and from deep in the cloud, a voice: "This is my Son, marked by my love. Listen to him." The next minute the disciples were looking around, rubbing their eyes, seeing nothing but Jesus, only Jesus. Coming down the mountain, Jesus swore them to secrecy. "Don't tell a soul what you saw. After the Son of Man rises from the dead, you're free to talk." They puzzled over that, wondering what on earth "rising from the dead" meant.

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Up a High Mountain—2-19-12
God, you call us to live in the valleys and the mountains. Teach us what we have to learn from the mountains and call us to remember your ways in the valleys. May the words I speak and the meditations of all our hearts be pleasing unto you. Amen

This is Transfiguration Sunday or as some of you may have called it in the past—the Feast or Festival of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Some, maybe many of you, may know nothing of this transfiguration story and as one of my dearest friends in Orlando—who just happens to be an incredibly talented performer says in his best drag voice—“Honey, it’s the Sunday of the great heavenly costume change”.
So what is this story all about? And what makes this story important for us today. Transfigure is not a word we use much. In its simplest sense, it means “to change, to transform, to alter—in outward, visible form. Most dictionaries agree that this change is usually for the good. People are transformed, of course, like when the Beast is transformed by the Beauty Belle’s love and kiss into the prince he truly is. But this is no ordinary transfiguration that we witness today.
In this story, the transfiguration of Jesus is at once complicated and simple. Unfortunately, those of us who prefer “simple” really do need to traverse the complicated part in order to understand the significance of this story in our lives. We, throughout the winter weeks, have been studying what it means to “walk in the spirit”. This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and is the beginning of the Season of the church called “Lent”. We enter the long weeks of preparation for our remembrance of Jesus’ agony and death and then our celebration of his resurrection on Easter Sunday morning. This story is the perfect bridge from our winter studies into our Lenten reflections.
We’re not sure why Jesus chose Peter, James, and John. Most scholars agree that these three achieved some leadership status among the larger group of disciples and that Jesus may have been giving them some extra privilege at this point or it may be as simple as Jesus took his best friends with him. Whatever the case, this brief story comes immediately after a particularly difficult passage. Jesus has been talking with his disciples and a crowd of people about the conditions of discipleship. In the preceding passages, he is talking of suffering and the great cost of following him. He ends this passage by predicting that some standing with him on that day will not die until they see the Kingdom of God come in power. We have no way of knowing to what Jesus is referring, though some translations see great significance in the fact that the transfiguration of Jesus comes immediately after this prediction.
Having looked at the setting and time frame of the event, let’s look at what actually happened. Jesus, taking his friends, goes up high on a mountain so that they can be completely alone. While they are there, Jesus is transfigured in front of them. His clothes become dazzling white, whiter than white—so white that they actually shimmered. All of a sudden, two great figures from the Old Testament—Moses and Elijah, are seen talking with Jesus. They are deep in conversation—the kind of conversation that you can tell is important just by watching—you don’t have to hear a word. Peter, however, is impulsive as he almost always is—and he shouts, “Rabbi, teacher, this is so awesome—let’s stop right now and build three dwellings to commemorate this moment—we’ll build one for you, one for Elijah and one for Moses”. At almost the same moment, a great cloud of light came over the whole scene and enveloped them all. God’s voice—from deep inside the cloud—rings out: “This is my Son, marked by my love. Listen to Him!” And, in the very next minute, the whole thing was over, the cloud lifted and the only one they saw was Jesus who told them in no uncertain terms to keep what they saw and heard to themselves until after he has risen from the dead. These scared and disoriented disciples were so confused, they didn’t even know what he meant.
The only other time we hear God make this proclamation is at the baptism of Jesus. But because it is unlikely that these disciples were present at the baptism of Jesus, this is new for them. It must have been un-nerving and more than a little frightening for them—but it must have also served as a divine confirmation that Jesus was who he said he was. However, we are left with more questions than answers regarding this dramatic occurrence so powerful in the telling, yet somewhat confusing in the hearing. Mere drama? Perhaps, or is there something to bring to our journeys this very day?
First, look at the selection of the characters—Jesus, obviously, was there as well as Peter, James and John. Then, we have the appearance of Moses and Elijah. Moses, representing the law and the great history of the Hebrew people and Elijah, the great Old Testament prophet, speaking to Jesus perhaps of prophesy fulfilled and prophesy still left to be revealed. I believe that the appearance of these two men are far more than symbolic—Jesus, as he begins to reveal his truest identity to his disciples is visited by two men—perhaps the only two men—who could serve as mentors or teachers to this, the Son of God. Is it not comforting to contemplate that Jesus, so alone in his journey, was given the great gift from God of the visitation and perhaps advice and support of these two historically important men?
And then, God’s voice is heard using the same words as those used when Jesus was baptized by John. Just as we ready ourselves for Lent, God reminds us of exactly who Jesus is—my son, marked by my love. Lest we forget where the journey leads and who leads us at every turn, God appears and reminds us of who is in control. “Listen to my son, I love him and he is set apart by my love.” And we, turn and look, just as Peter, James, and John to catch a glimpse of glory before it is gone as quickly as it came.
This story, which demonstrates the identity of Jesus so dramatically ends the season that began with Christmas and moved us through the many weeks of Epiphany. We studied the spiritual walk during those weeks and came to a deeper understanding of ourselves as a people of God walking together as the Body of Christ. What were the moments for you which filled you with some spiritual insight or lead you to some deeper commitment? Did you, like Peter, miss some of what we were wrestling with in our journey together? Once again, in story after story, and passage after passage, we see that God calls and calls and calls until we may finally understand. Peter, so impulsive and limited in his understanding of the nature of the glory in front of him was nevertheless present as God’s voice permeated the cloud of light. Peter, James, and John, like the other disciples never seemed to get it, and yet, Jesus shared his most precious moments with them anyway. Do we need any clearer proof than this that God claims us as divine children whether we are leaders such as Moses, prophets such as Elijah, or plain, common, not-so-astute folk like impetuous Peter?
Our call here in the midst of a somewhat complicated story is actually quite simple—“listen to the one who is marked by the love of the Creator God”. Do not be distracted as Peter was, wanting to stop and mark the event—pay attention to the glory right before you—be on the lookout for the glory of God in the beauty of a sunset or sunrise, or in a tree suddenly ablaze in reds and oranges from the reflection of the sun. Be on the lookout for God’s voice—and, just as important, be ready to listen. Prepare your hearts for the revelation of the glory of the Lord.
Lent is a strange time—some see it as a time of deprivation—a time to “give something up”. But God calls us to take something on during this time—a willingness to stand ready to hear and to listen and to follow. We give up our hallelujahs so that we can listen for deeper truths, center ourselves and long for holy ground. We hear the last hallelujahs in the choir’s anthem today and we put aside the ‘easy truth’ of celebration for the hard truth of learning to live as mature children of God. Here, just before Lent, in a completely unexpected place in the story of Jesus, we suddenly are led to the mountain. And, we are challenged as Peter was challenged, to stay with the glory, to see it through to the end. And, we are challenged as Peter was challenged to see beyond the moment, to resist the limiting of God to the here and now. And we are challenged, as Peter was challenged, to stay focused on God, this God of living cloud and living voice who speaks to us of vision and glory, of power and love. And we are challenged….Amen and amen.