Transfiguration Sunday (Last Sunday of Epiphany)
Sermon February 23, 2020
St. Benedict’s Episcopal Church, Los Osos, California
Message from the Mountain
(Invocation of the Holy Spirit, suggested by words in Celtic Daily Prayer)
Most powerful Holy Spirit,
come down upon us
and subdue us
From heaven,
where the ordinary is made glorious,
and glory seems but ordinary.
Open our spiritual ears, that we hear a word from God.
Amen.
Transfiguration is a translation of Greek that happens to be the same word from which we get metamorphosis.
By using the phrase “six days later” Matthew deliberately links this account of the transfiguration to Peter’s declaration to Jesus in previous paragraphs, “You are the long-awaited Messiah, God’s Son.
Jesus has also made declaration that he will be going to Jerusalem, where he will suffer rejection and death and be raised up. He also tells his rather small band of disciples the hard facts of being one of his followers who will have to deny themselves and take up a cross to follow him.
Now, let’s think about Matthew’s development of the Jesus narrative from the point of view of first century eastern Mediterranean culture. Jesus must be a little unsure that this is the way to go, and he knows it could be devastating to his band of students. If he dies, then what hope would there ever be that the “kingdom of heaven” that he and John the Baptist preached would be a reality on earth.
Think!
Matthew is carefully showing his readers that Jesus needed some reassurance from God and the company of men he knew. The way of the ancients was to withdraw to the hills or mountains to wait and pray
Jesus chose three to go with him.
Up they go, in the evening at the end of their workday, “they” being the three he summoned Peter, James and John.
It’s a long walk, uphill. The sun sinks into the West, the sky darker by degrees after sundown, then the deepening twilight. In a place comfortable for the four of them, they settle down and prayers commence, quietly.
Four men with a mind to pray.
Were they alone?
No, as we see in the following series of events in rapid succession:
- transfiguration of Jesus (He begins to “be morphed” right in front of their eyes, indicating the Other Presence)
- Moses and Elijah appear
- Peter speaks (of course!)
- The cloud comes and a voice cuts Peter off.
Please look at your copy of the Gospel reading. I will read verses 5 and 6. Join me in the reading when you find it.
- While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear.
I’m not sure I should be standing.
George Arthur Buttrick was a masterful preacher, beginning his work in the USA about 100 years ago. He died in 1980. His books are still being read.
I will quote him. “For myself, I have never preached on The Transfiguration: it is the Shekinah of the New Testament. I shield my eyes and bow my head . . . .”
What he means by Shekinah, a transliterated word from Hebrew language, is the palpable Presence of the Holy One. This morning we read how it appeared to God’s people at the foot of Mt. Sinai.
The bright cloud and voice overcame the three disciples with fear.
Thank God for the comforting words in verse 7. Read it.
7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.”
Here’s a Gospel story that calms fears.
Consider another narrative years later when churches are being established outside Jerusalem and among Gentiles in Acts 8.26-40
Philip is a follower of Jesus who has been preaching in Samaria, but is given a message to start walking south to Jerusalem, then take a desolate road on down to Gaza
He got up and went. He met an Ethiopian eunuch coming down the road. He had been in Jerusalem and was now returning to Ethiopia, where he was minister in charge of all the finances of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians.
The eunuch is in a chariot and reading. The Spirit told Philip, Join the chariot; so, running up alongside, Philip heard the eunuch reading Isaiah.
“Do you understand what you’re reading?”
The answer is, “How can I without some help?” Philip is invited into the chariot.
The eunuch says, “Tell me, who is the prophet talking about?
Philip tells him about Jesus and the way of Jesus. So, when they came to a stream of water, the Ethiopian wanted to be baptized He ordered the chariot to stop. Philip baptized him on the spot.
When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of God suddenly took Philip off.
I’m thinking Philip may be another who hear the voice of Jesus. “Get up and do not be afraid.”
Sometimes we need a little help to take the gospel seriously.
Let’s hear a contemporary Christian: Frederick Buechner (in Telling Secrets)
I REMEMBER SITTING parked by the roadside once, terribly depressed and afraid about my daughter’s illness and what was going on in our family, when out of nowhere a car came along down the highway with a license plate that bore on it the one word out of all the words in the dictionary that I needed most to see exactly then. The word was TRUST. What do you call a moment like that? Something to laugh off as the kind of joke life plays on us every once in a while? The word of God? I am willing to believe that maybe it was something of both, but for me it was an epiphany. The owner of the car turned out to be, as I’d suspected, a trust officer in a bank, and not long ago, having read an account I wrote of the incident somewhere, he found out where I lived and one afternoon brought me the license plate itself, which sits propped up on a bookshelf in my house to this day. It is rusty around the edges and a little battered, and it is also as holy a relic as I have ever seen.
Sometimes we get a little help to take Jesus seriously.
Jesus: get up and do not be afraid
Note that Peter, James and John were getting sleepy on the mountain, but they stayed awake.
These are some times to look for extra help:
- When everything is going wrong
- Times of sorrow
- In times of need
Here is a prayer of awakening, “Lord keep me always awake to you.”
2 Peter 1:16-21
16When we told you about the power and the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, we were not telling clever stories that someone had made up. But with our own eyes we saw his true greatness. 17God, our great and wonderful Father, truly honored him by saying, “This is my own dear Son, and I am pleased with him.” 18We were there with Jesus on the holy mountain and heard this voice speak from heaven.
Notice, Peter is no longer scared spitless by the incident. He boldly proclaims: “You must keep on paying attention until daylight comes and the morning star rises.’
Well, sisters and brothers, we didn’t get invited to the mountain.
Most of us live in the valley of the ordinary:
Put garbage container out at the curb
15 emails are waiting for an answer
Mail a birthday gift to your niece
Supper at 6
Brother in law is waiting for a ride home from the hospital
Pile of dirty dishes
Back to Matthew; Jesus came over to the three and touched them.
Don’t be afraid.
Ah, it’s my friend Jesus.
When they opened their eyes and looked all around all they saw was Jesus.
Now they get the rest of the message:
Jesus: get up and do not be afraid.
The message from your friend Jesus;
guide from this world to the skies is with you.
We weren’t there on the mountain, but Jesus is still encouraging his own.
Words from a 21st Century musician
The Summons
By John L. Bell
Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know and never be the same?
Lord your summons echoes true when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.
In Your company I’ll go where Your love and footsteps show.
Thus I’ll move and live and grow in you and you in me.
Get up and do not be afraid
Closing prayer
O God,
Give me eyes to see your wonders,
Ears to hear your word,
Feet to follow in your way,
And a heart of courage.
Amen.
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