Transfiguration B
Mark 9.2-10
February 22, 2009
Transfiguration Sunday has never been one of my favorite Sunday’s of the church year. First of all, reading the texts that lead up to this particular point in the Gospel of Mark, give us a Jesus who is less than patient and kind. He’s kind of an ordinary, cranky guy. The Pharisee’s test him and he has no use for their games. The disciples bicker about having nothing to eat and Jesus loses his patience because they can’t remember that he fed 4,000 people with just a few loaves of bread.
A blind man is brought to Jesus for healing and with a magnificent flair for the dramatic, Jesus spits on him; but when asked if he can see, the man says, “Well, sort of, I think those are people, but they look like trees.” Oops, Jesus has to try a second time for the healing to take.
Finally, in an effort to encourage the disciples he gives a rousing speech about being killed and taking up a cross and even starts calling Peter names when Peter finds the language offensive—like anyone wouldn’t.
And then six days later, while the disciples heads are probably still reeling from trying to figure out all this death and resurrection language and Peter is probably still pouting about being called “Satan” of all things; Jesus takes three of them on a field trip up a mountain, where in a star studded vision they get a glimpse of the new and improved Jesus. But they blink and it’s over and in their terror and confusion, they have no idea what they saw and can make no sense of this and so just say stupid things in response. Then it’s back down the mountain to more angst and anguish; to Jesus becoming a major political annoyance to the Romans until finally they put him to death.
Yup, Mark gives us a whiz banger of a story and drops this whole shiny Jesus episode in the middle of it. I never know what to make of it.
Except that I have some idea of how the disciples felt. Last week the newspapers had little to say that was good. It was more of the same that we’ve been hearing for months now. The Dow is down, unemployment is up, disgruntled unemployed folks taking lives, and the ever popular articles regarding the birth of those octets. More phone calls came in from members of the community. “Can you help me get a job?” “I’m supposed to be in counseling, will you talk to me.” People were in the hospital. Groups sit awaiting wisdom to spew forth in Bible Studies. And as soon as one group is done, the next is ready to start. Then the crowning blow for me this week? On Thursday night my phone rang, not once, but twice, and a voice left two messages on my answering machine promising random acts of violence on me and my family. Turns out it was a 12 year old child having fun. Having fun???
So I get tired and grumpy and lose perspective. And some days it’s just not helpful to be a follower of this guy who gets as tired and grumpy and is at times almost as ineffective as I am. And then we get here today and receive this beautiful story of a vision of glory. It’s a heaven on earth moment; Jesus, Elijah, Moses, together on the mountain conversing and the aura is that all is well and as it should be. It’s overwhelming and yet comforting to be in the presence of the holy.
I understand why Peter wants to stay. I understand why Peter wants to make it permanent. This is not a place to speak of death. It would be sacrilegious to mention a deed so horrendous as crucifixion on this mountain. Peter is terrified, but he wants to stay on the mountain of glory. It sure beats walking downhill to where the demons dwell.
It’s so unfair this story. To get a glimpse of the glory of Jesus, a preview of coming attractions when Jesus shall again come in glory on the clouds. This was just Jesus, the guy who ate with them and traveled with them and joked around with them. The Jesus they knew wasn’t holy, he was really quite ordinary. And yet it was this same Jesus who was joined in glory with the prophets, who, in fact, shone more radiantly than the prophets. This was only Jesus who did nothing to create this transfiguration, but to whom this event happened. Peter, James and John were witnesses to a God moment on an ordinary mountain on an ordinary day. They got a glimpse of the holy in the ordinary.
It’s so unfair to bask in the brightness of the eternal light and then, poof, someone pulls the switch. And then this time it isn’t Jesus who tells Peter to stop talking, it’s the voice of God as if God is telling them, “Hey, stop kibitzing. You’re missing what’s really important here. This is my Son, my beloved Son, listen to him. And not just this time, but listen to him over and over again. If he’s speaking you should be listening. Sitting up and paying attention. You’re posture should be ready to jump, to move, hands ready to serve, backs ready to work. Listen and obey.”
And then the part that makes me not like this day: they go back down that mountain. Right back to where the demons dwell. Right back down with a rather ordinary looking Jesus. An ordinary looking Jesus who has his sights set on another hill outside of Jerusalem where he will suffer and die. But having been to the mountain; having experienced the holy, Jesus will never again be ordinary for Peter, James and John.
And so it might not be fair and it might be confusing and it just might be terrifying, but we read this story in awe and wonder that God can do just a thing.
This year, in light of all of the tragedies going on in our world; what strikes me about this story, and comforts me in this story, isn’t that Peter wants to stay, but that Jesus offers to accompany the disciples back down that mountain.
Jesus will never stay on the top of the mountain and bark orders to those who are walking among the demons and the wounded. Jesus, the brilliant and awesome Son of God has entered our reality. Jesus knows what it’s like to be kicked out of his place of work. More than one synagogue sent him packing. Jesus knows what it’s like to be mocked and ridiculed. Jesus knows what it’s like to be tired and frustrated and hungry. Jesus knows what it’s like to be misunderstood. Jesus knows what it’s like to have needy people clinging to him constantly. Jesus knows what it’s like to be threatened and even killed.
We will spend the next 40 days, after Wednesday, my friends, contemplating this Jesus. The one who will never be “just Jesus.” We will contemplate the ministry of the holy one who became ordinary so that we could find the holy in the ordinary.
I think that we’re desperate for a moment of holiness. And I think that we’re desperate enough make our own journey from home to here each week in the hopes that we will find it. And we do.
Jesus meets us here in all of his crucified and resurrected glory and now we watch as amazing transformation begins in our ordinary lives. Water, ordinary water in a bowl becomes a river of life. With God’s mighty word, water becomes transformed into a means of grace. All that is unholy and vile is washed away in baptism and life is given to us because we are joined in the waters to the resurrection of Christ.
Bread and wine become a feast at which no man, woman or child will be refused a place. With God’s word these ordinary table staples become the body and blood of our savior, given and shed for us. We taste forgiveness and salvation and our faith is strengthened and nourished.
This building of bricks and mortar, steel and stone becomes a sanctuary for those who are broken and needy. This is a place dedicated to the work of God’s people; where vision becomes a reality. The hungry receive food, the lonely find friends, hospitality is extended and strangers become brothers and sisters in Christ.
People, plain ordinary people become holy in this place. We are named and claimed and set apart by God for God’s exclusive use. Because God has called us to be a people we are transformed to be the face and hands of Christ for the world. We are challenged to listen to him and to keep listening to him, Sunday through Saturday; morning, noon and night.
And listen we will. We have seen his glory; we have tasted it, and heard it and touched it. We have experienced the living God who now calls us to go out into the world, down to where the demons dwell and the wounded walk. We are called to follow him into the world. We are called to follow not just Jesus, but the Son of God for we too are children of God. Amen
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