First Reading Exodus 24:12–18
12 The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” 13 So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. 14 To the elders he had said, “Wait here for us, until we come to you again; for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them.” 15 Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 The glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. 17 Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18 Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.
Psalm Psalm 2
1 Why are the nations in an uproar? Why do the peoples mutter empty threats?
2 Why do the kings of the earth rise up in revolt, and the princes plot together, against the LORD and against the LORD’s anointed?
3 “Let us break their yoke,” they say; “let us cast off their bonds from us.”
4 God whose throne is in heaven is laughing; the LORD holds them in derision.
5 Then in wrath God speaks to them, and in rage fills them with terror.
6 “As for me, I have anointed my king upon Zion, my holy mountain.”
7 Let me announce the decree of the LORD, who said to me, “You are my son; this day have I begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession.
9 You shall crush them with an iron rod and shatter them like a piece of pottery.”
10 And now, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth.
11 Submit to the LORD with fear, and with trembling bow in worship;
12 lest the LORD be angry, and you perish in a sudden blaze of wrath. Happy are all who take refuge in God!
Second Reading 2 Peter 1:16–21
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” 18 We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
Gospel Matthew 17:1–9
1 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. 3 Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 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. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” 8 And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. 9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR EYES
I read a fascinating story the other day about a businessman named John Henry Patterson who, back in 1884, founded the National Cash Register Company. Almost immediately the company was profitable. The reason for the businesses success was Patterson paid attention to details and kept an eye on each department in the company. However, at one point, it became apparent that the factory was having a high number of burglaries. Patterson was convinced that the security staff wasn’t doing their job. So, one night, he put on a phosphorescent suit and rode up to the plant on a white horse. He jimmied opened the door to the tool room, helped himself to several spare parts and rode off, without ever being challenged. As you might expect, the next morning, he replaced the entire security staff.
How could those in charge of security not see a would-be burglar wearing a suit that glowed in the dark and riding on a white horse? The answer of course is simple, somebody wasn’t doing their job. That story reminded me of a hilarious episode years ago on the popular TV show, “Friends” where Ross bleaches his teeth for a date. Unfortunately, he left the whitener on twice as long as he was supposed to and the effect was shocking.
He spent the evening going to extreme lengths to hide his teeth, until his date turned down the lights. Then, all of a sudden his teeth began glowing in the dark, causing his date to freak out. People in phosphorescent suits or ones with glowing teeth simply isn’t something we’re accustomed to. We simply don’t see these things every day. We’re comfortable with seeing what’s perceived as normal. Anything that differs from this anticipated norm startles us. Maybe that’s why the story of Jesus’ transfiguration comes as a bit of a shock to us.
Jesus has been in full time ministry, as it were, for about 2 years now. He has been telling the disciples where He’s headed and what will happen when He gets there. He knows that before long He will head to Jerusalem for the final time. He’s feeling the sense urgency of His mission here on earth and the need for the disciples to learn everything they can. Jesus needs them come to terms with who He is and what He’s come to do, so He invites His closest disciples Peter, James and John to go with Him up on a high mountain. There, Matthew tells us, Christ was transfigured before them. But what does all this mean; transfigured? It’s an interesting word and one we don’t use very much.
Other than this particular Sunday each year, how often do we use the word transfigured? Not often I’m sure, but fortunate for us, Matthew tells us what “transfigured” means. He writes about the Master, “His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.” It reminds me of Patterson’s phosphorescent suit or Ross’ glow-in-the-dark teeth. But this was different. It wasn’t a suit or improperly used teeth whitener; it was authentic. And it isn’t the end of the story.
Just then the disciples saw two other individuals on that mountain conversing with their Master, Moses and Elijah. This was a once in a lifetime experience. Peter, who always seemed to feel the need to make a comment said, “Lord, 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.” But while Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came up to them and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. But then something strange happened. Jesus gave them a command that seems odd in light of what has just happened.
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” And several decades later, after the resurrection, Peter did tell about this experience. In the second epistle of Peter he wrote: “For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, 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” (1:16-18). This passage is significant for us. It was the second time God testified about His Son.
At Jesus’ baptism it’s difficult to know if anyone beside Jesus heard the voice from heaven saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). This time, however, there is no doubt. Peter heard the voice, James heard the voice, John heard the voice. It was the voice of God declaring, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to Him.”
They saw Christ transformed, they beheld Moses and Elijah who had been gone for hundreds of years standing there with Him, and they heard the voice of the Almighty. They were eye witnesses to the event. By any rational explanation, there could no longer be any doubt that this Man, whom they followed, was the Messiah, the Son of the living God. And yet . . . just a short time later Peter would be denying he ever knew Jesus and James and John would be hiding behind locked doors as if they had no knowledge of Christ’s power and His purpose. How do we explain this? They witnessed one of the most amazing Theophany events in all of history and yet they run, hide and even deny knowing who He is. In reality, we can’t explain or excuse it, except to say that they were very much like us. They had faith like a yo-yo. “Sometimes up, sometimes down, sometimes almost to the ground.”
It was only about a week before the Transfiguration that Jesus had asked His apostles the question, “Who do people say that I am?” And of course it was Simon who responded by saying “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus praised Simon, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it . . .”
Jesus then began to explain to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. And how does Simon Peter respond to this? He takes Jesus aside and begins to rebuke Him saying, “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!” The actions of the disciples are at times hard to comprehend.
Peter has just affirmed that Jesus was “the Messiah, the Son of the living God” and then he turns around and tries to tell Jesus how to go about His business! Jesus turns and says to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns” (Matthew 16:16-23). Poor Peter; one moment he’s the rock, the next Peter is satan! If God’s grace depended on effort, Peter would be at the head of the class. If it were based on his success during the three years Jesus was on this earth, Peter like most all of us, would be in real trouble. But, thanks be to God, His mercy isn’t based on either. It’s freely given out of perfect love. But I digress.
It’s now a week after Jesus questions His disciples and Peter is now up on a mountain offering to build shelters for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. And in just a few short months he’ll be standing in that courtyard where someone will ask him, “Aren’t you one of his disciples?” And he will declare with an oath, “I am not!” How is Simon Peter any different from us? If we’re honest, we have to admit that from time to time, we’re just as wishy-washy in our faith.
One moment we feel so close to God that we’re willing to give Him all that we are and hope to be and the next moment, in a time of testing, we deny we ever knew Him. How do we explain it? There’s really only one way; the disciples were human, just like you and me. They were full of good intentions, but poor in execution. This isn’t meant as an excuse, but rather as a recognition of our need for God’s help each and every day. This is just one reason why we’re so grateful for God’s grace.
Everyone who’s serious about their faith struggles at some time in our Christian pilgrimage. The only people who don’t struggle are those for whom faith is but a surface phenomenon to which they’re hardly committed at all. One of my favorite pieces of humor is the one about the man who woke up and reported he had a terrible nightmare. He dreamed he was right behind Mother Teresa going into heaven and he heard St. Peter say, “I’m sorry, Teresa, it wasn’t enough.”
If our entrance into heaven were based on merit, Mother Teresa would be omitted, the Apostle Peter would be omitted, Saint Paul would be omitted. Heaven would be a mighty lonely place. As one fellow said, “If heaven is based on merit, the only people who would be there are Jesus and my wife’s first husband.” Everyone who has ever done their best to follow Jesus has struggled at some time or another. That’s because we walk by faith and not absolute knowledge.
If any of you have studied the life of Mother Teresa then you know that she too struggled with her faith during most of her great ministry. She wrote to a friend and priest, “Jesus has a very special love for you. As for me, the silence and the emptiness are so great that I look and do not see, listen and do not hear.” Mother Teresa gave herself as completely as anyone on this earth is likely to give of themselves, but still she struggled, like Peter, James and John struggled even after the Transfiguration in which they heard the very voice of God. That’s life, and in a sense, that’s faith. “For now we see through a glass, darkly,” wrote Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:12, “but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known”.
A successful businessman once traveled to India to spend a month working in one of Mother Teresa’s shelters. He really wanted to meet her, but Mother Teresa was traveling, and it wasn’t until the day before his departure that she had time to talk with him. When he was finally able to meet with her, much to his surprise, he burst into tears. All the times when he’d been self-centered, busy or focused on his own gain flashed before his eyes, and he felt an enormous sadness that he had missed so many opportunities in his life to give of himself and his resources. Without a word, Mother Teresa walked over to where he was seated, put her hands on his shoulders and looked deeply into his eyes. “Don’t you know,” she said, “that God knows you’re doing the best that you can.” And that’s good news for us. That’s the good news of God’s enormous patience and mercy. God does know. God knows our hearts. And God loves us with an everlasting love. And out of that love God has given us a an enormous gift.
Legendary Spanish artist Pablo Picasso was virtually unknown when he painted his famous portrait of American writer Gertrude Stein in 1906. Picasso gave the portrait to Miss Stein since, as the artist himself recalled with a smile, at that time in his career “the difference between a gift and a sale was piddling.” Some years later, the portrait attracted the interest of millionaire art collector Dr. Albert Barnes, who asked Miss Stein how much she had paid Picasso for it. “Nothing,” she replied. “He gave it to me.”
Dr. Barnes was incredulous that such a priceless work of art could have been a gift.
You and I are equally unbelieving that God could have given us the free gift of grace. But God did. And out of a sense of gratitude it’s very important that we keep that faith alive. The attractions and temptations of this world are ever before us, tempting us to replace God with any number of little gods. If Peter, James and John were in danger after their experiences with Christ, if Mother Teresa was in danger even after all her good works, then how much more danger are you and I in of allowing our hearts to grow cold and our lives to become indifferent to Christ’s claims.
That’s why it’s so important to be in worship each week. That’s the importance of Bible studies, Confirmation camp, our Lenten journey, sharing in small groups with other believers, that’s the importance of immersing ourselves in the Scriptures to guard against entropy of the soul, the natural tendency when we’re away from the presence of God to allow the wonder of faith, no matter how real in our lives, to slip away. Grace is free, but it wasn’t cheap and our faith can at times be fragile.
I’ve had folks ask me, “isn’t it dangerous to proclaim a grace that’s so totally free? What motivation do people have to stay strong in the faith, if they don’t have to fear God’s judgment?” My usual answer is that I serve God because He gave so freely and only asks for my love and devotion in return. Believe and be baptized, that’s it. Being a Christian isn’t about repaying a debt, it should be a response to God’s enormous gift of love and grace to us. God doesn’t want our devotion out of fear, but He does want us to know the truth. There are consequences for rejecting God. We can choose to accept and appreciate what God has done for us or reject Him altogether. We have the ability to choose.
It’s like a story that’s told about Abraham Lincoln. According to the story, Lincoln once visited a slave auction. He went to observe, not to participate. He watched the indignities of human beings being bought and sold. His response to the auction was a mixture of disgust, sadness and outrage. As he stood there a young woman was brought to the block, her eyes and body language screaming defiance and hatred. She had been used and abused by her previous owners and now it was going to happen all over again. The bidding began, and to everyone’s amazement, Lincoln offered a bid. As the price went up, so did Lincoln’s bids until the auctioneer declared him the buyer. He paid her price and then went over to where she was being held. All her animosity was focused straight at him. He looked at her and simply said, “You’re free.”
Dripping with defiance and distrust, she said, “Yeah, free for what?” Abraham Lincoln answered, “Free to do anything you want to do; free to go anywhere you want to go.” Her appearance changed as she took in his words and realized he meant what he said. Lincoln repeated himself: “You’re free . . . free to go anywhere you want to go.” She answered, “Then I’m going with you!” And that’s what Transfiguration is all about.
In our own way, each of us has been to the mountaintop at some time in our lives. We echo St. John’s words when he wrote, “We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (1:14). But we also acknowledge we’re sinners. We love Him and want to serve Him, but in the time of testing, we have each denied Him. And each time He forgives us. That’s why we serve Him. Not to earn His love, but in response to His grace. And in response, we commit ourselves again this day to live lives pleasing to Him.
Amen.