2 Peter 1:16-21
For we did not follow cleverly devised stories
when we told you about the coming of our Saviour Jesus Christ in power, but we
were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He
received honor and glory from God the Creator when the voice came to him from the
Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Child, whom I love; with him I am
well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from
heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. We also have the prophetic message as
something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as
to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star
rises in your hearts. Above all, you
must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things.
For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets,
though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 17:1-9
After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James
and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His
face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just
then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
Peter said to Jesus, “Teacher,
it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one
for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
While he was still speaking, a bright cloud
covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is
my Child, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
When the disciples heard this, they fell
facedown to the ground, terrified. But
Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he
said. “Don’t be
afraid.” When
they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus
instructed them, “Don’t tell
anyone what you have seen, until the Human One has been raised from the dead.”
****
Will you pray with and for me? Loving God, be
present with us now as you were present on the mountaintop; give us grace to
recognise your presence and your power with us today and every day. May all we
do be reflections of your love for us and for all your children. In all your
names, amen.
Transfiguration Sunday, which we observe
today, is not one of the big church holidays. But it is the turning point, in a
sense, of the season. It is the last Sunday before Lent begins--our journey
with Jesus pivots towards Lent and Easter, the movement towards Jerusalem, Palm
Sunday, Jesus' death and resurrection. It is the time when his followers begin
to realise this is not just a wise man they are following, that this is more
than a diversion, that this is, in fact, deadly serious. There may be doubt
about whether anyone but Jesus heard the voice of God at his baptism--it's not
clear from the Gospel accounts--but there is no doubt here--Peter, James and
John heard the voice of God, saw Moses and Elijah with Jesus, and Jesus all
radiant with glory. This is the real thing! And so no wonder Peter babbles
nonsense and James and John can't find anything to say at all...Moses, the
leader of the Hebrew people out of exile, the great law giver, the foundation
stone of the Jewish faith--gave them the
commandments of God, one who spoke directly to God and lived! And then
Elijah, greatest of the prophets! Prophets in those days were not seers, or
people who foresaw the future. The real meaning of the word is one who speaks
truth to power, who calls for justice and righteousness. Martin Luther was a
prophet--so was Gandhi and Nelson
Mandela and Harvey Milk and Troy Perry and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
So Jesus is revealed as a true child of God in
the presence of the Law and the Prophets--that's what that radiance is--Jesus
in all his glory, Jesus most truly himself. Remember Jesus says he has not come
to abolish the law but to fulfill it; remember too, that he says that the
greatest commandment is to love God and your neighbour as yourself --on this,
he says, hang all the laws and the prophets. For what is it to love your
neighbour but to cry out for justice for them? And to live your live in ways
that harm no one and ensure that God is honoured? That is what it means to be a
child of God.
And so Peter is quite right in one sense, to
want to stay there on the mountain with Jesus and Elijah and Moses--but quite
wrong in another sense. Ideally, we can all be like Jesus--so full of that love
for God and sense of service and justice for others that we glow. Who would not
want to be like that? And yet, we cannot live on the mountain--we have to go
down and be among people--other people, people we like and people we don't,
people who are righteous and people who are not, people who Re good to each
other and their pets and children, who do their best to support their friends
and neighbours and family--and people who don't seem to care two figs for
anyone else as long as they have what they want. Yeah, it's messy sometimes.
Yeah, it's hard most of the time. But Jesus leads them down from the mountain
to begin the real work of ministry, among God's people, not remote and
separated, down in the dirty, mucky, messy midst of God's people. He leads them
down to begin that work, because soon he will be leaving them, and they will
have to do his work without him. But he has shown them what it can be like--to
be fully alive to the law of honouring and worshiping God and to caring for
your neighbour, to crying out for justice.
As we prepare for this Lenten journey with
Jesus, we can also prepare to serve God's people. What is it we lack, what
talent or grace or wisdom or skill do we need? That should be our guide to a
good Lent, a holy Lent--learning how to serve God's people--each other--more
fully and completely, so that we too, can shine like the sun, fully ourselves
as we honour and love God and work for God's justice and peace here on earth.
In all God's names, amen.
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