Last Epiphany - The Transfiguration

May my words and my thoughts be acceptable to you, O Lord, my refuge and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)

SEASON: Last Epiphany - The Transfiguration
PROPER: B
PLACE: St. John's Parish, Kingsville
DATE: March 6,2000


TEXT: Mark 9:2-9 - The Transfiguration
“And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. . . . Then a cloud overshadowed the, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!”


ISSUE: The Transfiguration event reveals that Jesus is the Light of the World. He is of God and with God. He stands with Moses the law giver and with Elijah the prophet as the continuing expression of God’s law of love and prophetic call for justice. A select group of disciples are invited into the theophany, and they see Jesus as being with God. The event, which occurs at the center of Mark’s gospel account gives direction to the next part of the story. Jesus now is directed to the cross. It calls all of us to seek the presence of Christ that we might be strengthened with him.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
On this last day of the Epiphany Season, the gospel reading is the story of or the event of The Transfiguration of Jesus. It is a the recounting of a mystical event. Mystical events such as this one are difficult for many Americans. Our culture is not very comfortable with mysterious events. We like for the most part to think of ourselves as scientific, rational, people of reason, and cloudy mystical experiences make it difficult for us to understand. Thus, such experiences are simply rejected. It is interesting that the American culture is actually an exception to many of the other cultures of the world which are more accepting of mystical experiences. We might wonder why we are the exception. It may have something to do with our need to think of ourselves as self-made men and women, who don’t quite recognize a need for God that keeps us from mystical experiences with some depth to them. What I think is especially important as we try to make sense of Scripture is not to ask to much as to how such a thing might have happened, but to ask “What does the story mean?” Why would Mark, or any of the other writers, tell us this story.
In any event, Mark tells of Jesus going up a high mountain. While he and several select disciples are there on the mountain top, Jesus becomes transfigured. His clothes become dazzling white, whiter than they could be bleached. Appearing with Jesus in this mystical event is Moses and Elijah. Moses had been the great leader of the nation Israel, God’s people. He had been their law giver, and the one who eventually led them to the promised land. Elijah also appears with Jesus on the mountain top. Elijah was one of Israel’s most cherished prophets who had fought against injustice and the apostasy of Israel, when they at time abandoned their relationship with God. Interestingly enough both Moses and Elijah had themselves mountain top experiences where they were in the presence of God. Moses receives the Commandments of God on Mt. Sinai. Elijah as well received hears God speak to him in the “still small voice.” For the people of this time, these great leaders were seen as men of God.
Mark wants his readers to know that Jesus stands honorably with the great religious figures of his people’s history. Jesus like Moses and Elijah is truly a man of God. What’s more, he is indeed, son of God. He is just as worthy of being listened to as was Moses and Elijah. The very transfiguration itself tells the listener that so far as the early church was concerned, Jesus is the Light of the World, so dazzling that no bleach on earth could make him so brilliant, and so distinguished, so pure. The Jesus who walked with men and women, who touched lepers and corpses, who ate and fraternized with common tax collectors and prostitutes, also walks with and is in touch with God. Jesus who has crossed the boundaries by touching the impure lot of those thought to be unworthy of being in the presence of God and becomes himself polluted steps across another boundary into the very realm of God itself. He is the light of the world, and the Beloved Son of God worthy of human attention: “Listen to him.” For Mark Jesus is the new Temple.
It is also interesting that the event is as mystifying, if not terrifying, for the select disciples who have accompanied Jesus to the mountain top. Peter is unable to comprehend this event, and begins to considering building tents or booths (dwellings) for Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. He is baffled by the experience. There was a Jewish Festival of Booths, in which Jewish men built tents for booths and lived outdoors for seven days commemorating their time of wandering in the wilderness with Moses before entering the Promised Land. The disciples seem to want to capture the event, but mystical events are always fleeting.
Mark places this Transfiguration Story in the center of his Gospel. It comes at the half way mark. At the beginning when Jesus was baptized by John, and when he is brought up out of the water a voice came from the heavens declaring, “This is my Son, my beloved.” With those words Jesus began his ministry of teaching and healing. We’ve considered many of the healing stories in the past weeks. We’ve considered his teachings and his healing ministry. At the point of the Transfiguration Story, there is a mark of a new chapter in the life of Jesus. The baptismal event marked the beginning of his teaching healing ministry. The transfiguration story marks the beginning of Jesus journey to Jerusalem and his eventual crucifixion. While Jesus was a great man, teacher and healer, he is also a man of great sacrifice in his work for justice, who is obedient to the Father even to death on the cross.
The disciples are ready to tell what they have seen and heard, but Jesus silences them. It is only when the world sees his ultimate sacrifice, will they truly understand that he is The Son of God, and the Light (or enlightenment) for the World.
Many churches around the world use this story of the Transfiguration on this Sunday. It comes as an appropriate conclusion to the Epiphany Season, the season which is meant to reveal that Jesus is the savior, helper, of the world. He is the expression of God’s brilliant love and Light of God come to the darkness of the world. At the same time Jesus is the one who brings Peter, James, and John into the mystical presence of God. As we move out of Epiphany and into the Lenten Season it is our time to be alone with God, and to seek a deeper personal enlightenment and appreciation of the meaning and mystery of life. It is our season for coming closer to the God that Jesus leads us to, so that we can better discern what God would have us to be and to do with our lives. It’s our time to go to the mountain top to be close to God.
I wonder if you’ve ever really contemplated the mystery of life. Many of us probably have from time to time. Perhaps you’ve gone to mountain top and looked down into the valleys and wondered what was going on in all the places below. Perhaps you’ve flown in an airplane, and looked down on the world beneath you. Have you wondered as to what’s going on in all those homes, hospitals, factories, businesses below. People may be making love. Children are being born; people even young ones may be dying. Someone is getting mugged or murdered. A discovery is being made for the betterment of mankind. It’s a real mixture of life and death, love and hate, apathy and indifference along with great commitments. All of our lives are caught in the mystery of life, as to why it even exists and ever came into being. Below is chaos, mystery, and many things we simply cannot understand. We can know well what it was like for Peter, James, and John. What was happening to them was all very mysterious, and may have made little sense to them, until such time as they could contemplate the event and search its meaning.
All of life is mystery and we need, I think, the presence of God in our lives to help us to discern our place in the scheme and chaos of things. We have to search out God and ask for strength to persevere, for a purpose that helps us to identify with the way of Jesus. We say and do some strange things in the church. We talk about the body and blood of Jesus. We talk about healing, and sitting on the right hand of God, and heaven and hell. These are all mysterious things, yet they have a meaning that has addressed us with hope and renewal, and the presence of God down through the ages. They mystery may be to our great help.
Sometimes we can get so very bogged down in the hurt, pain, suffering, and uncertainties of life that it may all seem meaningless and harsh. We are presently living in a time when much of our culture is immersed in violence. Just this week the Bishop called the clergy to a conference on Domestic Violence and Abuse. Facts are that one out of every six women are abused by their husbands. While the conference was going on a six year old boy murdered a classmate, and another man went berserk in Pittsburgh. What’s happening to us and our world. We need God, we need help, we need perspective, and understanding, along with compassion. We need to know how we minister, to help, to care, to foster a world with justice, law and order, with love and compassion. It is in our close relationship with Christ who leads us to God that will enable us to do our part in the world and in the midst of things we cannot understand.

The Ash Wednesday Invitation to the Keeping of a Holy Lent may be read. Prayer Book, p. 264f