Sunday, March 3, 2019

Sermon - Transfiguration Sunday


Luke 9:28-36                                                                         

                                                              Transfigured - Transformed


            "Master...let us make three dwellings.” I thought about the temptation to which Peter fell victim as I said good-bye to Donna this week.  It would have been really nice to find a way to build a “dwelling” where she could have just stayed, and been part of this faith community forever.

            That got me to thinking about another dwelling – one for me!  The timeline for my departure was of my own making, but there are days when the pain of leaving this mountaintop is too profound.  And I am tempted to start building a dwelling; where I can stay and you can stay with me, and nothing would ever need to change. 

            So it is with a great deal of understanding that I approach Peter’s suggestion for building three dwelling places, for we have come across items of great value and importance; items and moments in time worthy of preserving.

            But building three dwelling places would be wrong - wrong for exactly the same reason it would have been wrong for Peter, James and John to build dwelling places.  Building shelters leads to up-keep of shelters which eventually leads to an inability (as well as an unwill­ingness) to move on.  As much as Peter, James, John and even Jesus would have like to have stayed on that mountain top with Elijah and Moses they had to move on.  They had other heritages to build; other stories to tell.

            Do you have your bibles with you this morning?  It would be helpful to find the verses appointed for this day and note the central position of this story in the whole of the gospel.  What is true for Luke is also true for Matthew and Mark - in each this story of the Transfiguration occupies a central position.  The events on this mountain occupy a pivotal point in Jesus' ministry, it is the point at which it becomes clear that he must go to Jerusalem where he will be condemned and die a martyr's death.

            If you flip through your bible, and if you have those helpful little paragraph titles, you can see that up to this point Jesus has been traveling around, performing a few miracles and teaching those who would listen.  He has had a few run-ins with the Pharisees and scribes, but none thus far with the Roman authorities. 

            The significant event which has occurred is the confession of Peter.  You can see that up there in the 18th verse, begins the story of Jesus asking the disciples, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"  After the disciples report that some think he may be Elijah or John the Baptist, Jesus gets a little more direct and asks them, "But who do you say that I am?"  To this question, Peter responds, "The Messiah of God."

            For the first time in the gospel story, Jesus allows someone to call him by this name.  Up to now Jesus has demanded silence whenever anyone hinted they might know who he really was.  He still insists they not tell others, but he allows Peter's confession to stand.  He builds upon that confession in verses 21ff where he begins to teach them, "The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised."

            Something is changing in the nature of Jesus' ministry.  No longer will he try to hide his real mission.  From this point onward, he begins to make his way to Jerusalem and the fate which awaits him there.

            It is about eight days later that Jesus takes Peter, James and John and goes up on the mountain.  It is on that mountain that the transfiguration of Jesus occurs.

            There are two sets of interactions going on in this text.  There is the obvious interaction between Jesus and his disciples.  It is this interaction which first catches our eye and holds our attention.  This exchange between Jesus and his disciples certainly could be the main point to the story.  Seeing Jesus there, with Moses and Elijah, could have the effect of teaching the disciples how important Jesus really was.  But if teaching the disciples how important Jesus really is were the sole intention of the story, would­n't it make more sense for Peter's confession to follow this transfig­uration?  He would have seen Jesus' glory, therefore justified in called him the Messiah of God. 

            In this story there is the interaction between Jesus and his disci­ples.  But there is another exchange going on here.  Before Peter blurts out his suggestion, there had been a conversation going on between Jesus, Moses and Elijah.  A conversation, within an event which occupies a pivotal point in the gospel story.  Could it be that the events on that mountain had the end result of not merely transfig­uring but also transforming Jesus? 

            After he comes down from that mountain, Jesus is a changed man.  His way of interacting with people is different.  Something has changed about him and the drive with which he carries out his mission.

            Could it be that this visit to the top of the mountain was Jesus' mid-way check point?  Perhaps what we see here are the events which allow Jesus to understand that Israel will never listen, that his crucifixion is the only course?  Maybe Moses and Elijah come so as to convince Jesus that this new course will indeed fulfill the require­ment of the law and the vision of the prophets.

            Whatever happened on that mountain, we know that Jesus came down a changed man.  If you look down, to the 51st verse of chapter 9, you will see an interesting story.  Jesus sends disciples ahead of him, to a village of the Samaritans, but when he gets there, they will not receive him.  Image that, the people did not open their arms to the one whom Peter called the Messiah of God. 

            But Luke tells us why they did not accept Jesus.  They did not accept Jesus because his face was set toward Jerusalem.  When he comes down off that mountain, Jesus is headstrong and confident.  Nothing is going to stand in his way.  He is determined to go to Jerusalem and there to encounter those who would refuse to hear God's Word.  There is a resolve and purpose that has been missing thus far.  He knows what he has to do and he is ready to do it.

            Could it be that the conversation with Moses and Elijah marks the point at which Jesus becomes convinced of what he must do?  Could it be that somehow this encounter made it clear to Jesus what he must do and how?  In speaking of the Transfiguration, me must also talk about transformations - the transformations which occur in Jesus' under­standing of his life and ministry.

            The conversation exposes a direction which must be followed.

            The direction which Jesus took is so unbelievable.  Who would have thought that the Messiah of God would be rejected and executed?  It took a mountain top experience to give everyone the courage they needed to proceed.

            "Master...let us make three dwelling places,"  Peter is looking for some handle on how to respond to all of this.  He has come upon such a beautiful heritage, a wealth of insight and teachings.  He wants to stay there - with Moses, Elijah and Jesus.  He is tempted to forget about the mission which lies ahead.

            But Jesus wouldn't let Peter, James and John do that; Jesus won't allow us to stay where we are, either.

            I don't think Jerusalem and crucifixion awaits us.  But I do believe God is calling upon us to live transfigured and transformed lives.  Has our encounter with Messiah served to convince us that a new direction is possible?  Perhaps what we have shared will cause our faces to be so set on the future church that we will be renounced by those in the villages around us.  Maybe we will so embrace Jesus’ mission of caring for the outcast and befriending the lowly that our status quo neighbors will no longer want to hear us speak of feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, and welcoming the sojourner.

            Jesus wouldn't allow Peter, James and John to build dwelling places; Jesus won't allow us to do so.  But the one who is the Messiah of God will go with us as together we forge a new church for all God's children.

Amen.

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