SERMON AT ST. PETER’S CHURCH, BRAMSHAW – SUNDAY 19 FEBRUARY 2023 – SUNDAY BEFORE LENT
Exodus
24:12-18; Matthew 17:1-9
May I speak in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
and may these words be yours and bless all who hear them. Amen.
These two narratives this morning, one from the Old Testament
and the other from the New, have, as their central theme significant
experiences on mountain tops and both involve the prophet Moses, first as an
historical account during Moses lifetime and secondly as an apparent vision
many centuries after his death.
I have always been intrigued by the narrative of the
Transfiguration and its meaning – not just for those disciples of Christ who
had the immediate incredible experience there on the mountainside, but also for
us as Christians today, perhaps sometimes in the valleys of our lives. It is clearly an event of great importance as
it appears in all three synoptic gospels – not only Matthew but also Mark and
Luke. Interestingly it does not appear
in John’s gospel although it would seem that John was the one gospeller who was
actually present. Probably, therefore,
for us Christian followers it is, together with Christ’s passion and ascension,
one of the most important of the pillars of our Christian Faith for reasons I
hope I can explain.
Turning back to the beginning of our second reading, which I
think is a good place to start, we learn that Jesus took with him, up a
mountain (whose name is not recorded in any of the gospels by the way) three
disciples – Peter, James and John. The
reason which Luke (but not the others) attribute to this climb is for the
purpose of prayer. Now here is an
important point, prayer is not just about supplication – that is asking for
things from God, - but also meant as a time of communication and conversation. As we know, conversation and communication in
order to be effective has to be two way – and so does prayer. In our daily prayer-life we should take time
out not only to talk to God but also to listen to what God is saying to
us. Clearly, this is what Jesus intended
when he went up this mountain to pray – to communicate with his father and
listen to his word.
When
they had reached the top of the mountain we read that Jesus was suddenly
“transfigured”. I looked up the word
“transfigure” in the dictionary so as to clearly understand its meaning and
found a lovely definition – “to transform into something more beautiful or elevated”. What a
wonderful word which I really wish we could use more often to describe things
today in our modern world.
Matthew, in his
description of the event says that Jesus’s face shone like the Sun and his
clothes became dazzling white. He
literally appeared to glow with the glory of God. It has often been said to me that people can
recognise a true dedicated Christian by the way they seem to glow or the way
their face seems to shine. I used to
think that that was probably a bit of an exaggeration but if we think about the
Transfiguration, and that each of us who has accepted Christ into our lives and
received the gift of the Holy Spirit, surely then we should also shine, that we
too are, to some extent “transfigured”. Shouldn’t we too, by being true
followers of Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit be transformed into
something more beautiful or elevated whilst still retaining our humility?
But, of course, the
narrative doesn’t end there, simply with Jesus appearing different. He is
joined by two other characters who the disciples recognise immediately as Moses
and Elijah and here the significance of the Transfiguration to the disciples
and us reaches a new, and pardon the pun, greater height!
Both Moses and Elijah were
prominent and significant people from the Old Testament – Moses was the Law
Giver and Elijah the Great Prophet; and where did they have great experiences
of hearing the voice of God? Yes, on
mountain tops, in fact each on the same mountain although in Moses case it was
then called Mount Sinai and in Elijah’s time Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:11-13).
Biblical scholars are convinced that it was indeed the same mountain in the
Sinai Desert wilderness. So, it is appropriate that God would speak to Jesus
and his disciples at the top of a mountain with representatives of the Law
(Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah) for Jesus had already said that he had come
to fulfil both the Law and the Prophecies as the Son of God, that he was indeed
God incarnate here on Earth.
So, for the Jewish
disciples who were expecting the great Messiah, here was a clear vision that
Jesus was not just another prophet, as some other Faiths believe, but that he
was indeed the Son of God, fulfilling both the Law of Moses and the prophesies
of Elijah and others and we, today, should recall the Transfiguration as this
clear illustration of Jesus’s role on Earth.
We read that God’s voice was loud and clear in this regard when he said
“This is my Son, the Beloved with whom I am well pleased” – words which echo
back to Jesus’s baptism by John in the River Jordan. Two clear announcements of
Jesus’s true identity.
Of course, Peter, as usual
doesn’t quite understand it. I like Peter
very much because time and time again I can identify with him and think he
represents us everyday folk who sometimes struggle with the messages which
Jesus gave to us. Peter believes that
Moses and Elijah have returned to join forces with Jesus and so, in order to
keep them here back on Earth, he thinks that if we build each of them a house,
they will remain. Of course, whilst
Moses’s death is recorded in the Old Testament, Elijah we read was “taken up”
and even today Jewish families keep an empty seat and place-setting and keep
the door open for Elijah during the Passover meal. This also signifies for us Christians the
importance of that last Passover supper and the sacrament of Holy Communion
today. Elijah’s place is now Christ’s place and he shares his meal with us
symbolically by the sacrifice of his body and blood.
We are about to enter Lent
and it is no co-incidence that the lectionary has the Transfiguration as the
established reading immediately before we begin forty days and forty nights of
fasting. We read in our first reading that in Moses’s other mountain top
experience he was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights. We read that Jesus was tempted in the wilderness
after spending forty days and forty nights fasting and praying.
Jesus tells his disciples
that they should not say anything to anyone about the experience until after he
has been raised from the dead. Why? Well, once risen he will be transfigured
for all time and what has been said and seen will be a clear indication that
Jesus was indeed the Son of God – without any question at all.
So, during the forthcoming
period of Lent I encourage you to read again and reflect upon the three
synoptic gospel passages describing the Transfiguration in the context of
asking yourself – “who do I think Jesus is?”
“What role did he play for me whilst on Earth and what role does he play
in my life today?” It is always good to
test your faith because by that means way we can strengthen it and describe it
to others.
So I will start you off by
reading the Transfiguration narrative again but this time in the fuller wording
of Mark – which was the oldest original description:
After six days Jesus took Peter, James
and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all
alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His
clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could
bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them
Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
5 Peter said to Jesus,
“Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for
you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 (He did
not know what to say, they were so frightened.)
7 Then a cloud appeared
and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I
love. Listen to him!”
8 Suddenly, when they
looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
9 As they were coming
down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had
seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 They
kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant.
11 And they asked him,
“Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”
12 Jesus
replied, “To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why
then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be
rejected? 13 But I tell you, Elijah has
come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is
written about him.”
What word or phrase springs out to you in this
fuller version? I leave you to ponder and reflect.
Amen MFB/17022023/183
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