Last Sunday of Epiphany
Our sermon today is from Dr. Mary Gunter.
The Transfiguration: A Mountain Top Experience
Dr. Mary B. Gunter
This is an exciting Sunday for several reasons. Tonight’s Super Bowl anticipation is just one of the endings we will observe of another NFL football season. This morning, we celebrate the last Sunday of Epiphany, which marks the end of the Epiphany season in our liturgical year. The ending of “anything” usually marks the beginning of “something”. As we conclude the football season, it is only a short time before many of us will enjoy the start to the baseball season and the bats swinging. As we end the Epiphany season, we will begin the sacred season of Lent.
And that is life. There are many examples of beginning and endings on life’s journey, right to the end of our physical life on earth and the beginning of our eternal life.
Todays’ scripture gives us a glimpse of heavenly life as it unfolds through a Mountain Top experience with Jesus and three of his disciplines. Our Wednesday night book study during Epiphany, led by Mother Mercedes, was the book titled: Life in Christ. Its’ author, Mother Julia Gatta, refers to the Transfiguration of Jesus described in our scripture reading as a crucial turning point in the gospel narratives. Its placement at the end of the Epiphany season signals a decisive turning point for the church.
The account of the Transfiguration is recorded in three of our gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Each account includes the basic points of the story with only slight differences. The fact that we find the account of the Transfiguration in three of the gospels indicates this was an important event in the life of the early church, the disciples, and, ultimately, the lives of all followers to come.
The Gospel of Mark describes this Mountain Top experience of Jesus and his three chosen disciples. In the preceding Chapter of Mark, Jesus had spoken with the disciples when discussing Who He Was and Who they said/thought he was. During that exchange with the disciples, Jesus acknowledged the Son of Man must suffer, be rejected, be killed, and be raised from the dead.
So, what was seen in the Transfiguration of Jesus. His clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, (both who were physically taken into the heavens). The disciples saw Elijah and Moses talking with Jesus. The scriptures say the disciples were terrified. They were terrified and probably wondering what was really happening. Have you ever had moments of surprise, and really didn’t know what to do next?
They had that moment. Peter responded by asking if he should construct three dwelling places, one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah. I can’t Imagine what I would have done in that situation. Peter shows us his humanness and his sense of getting things done. He made the assumption they were going to be coming down with them from the mountain and, naturally, they would need a place to stay, at least, for a while. Little did he know what was about to happen. The voice comes from the cloud saying: “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him.” And then, suddenly, there was no one, except Jesus. Jesus and the disciples descended the mountain, but not without a warning. Jesus orders them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
Can you imagine? The miracle and mystery of it all. Seeing Elijah and Moses who had miraculously been taken to heaven, without a physical death, standing there in the clouds, with Jesus, who they saw transfigured in clothes of brightness. And they were talking. There are many things we can gleam from this story. I am going to focus on three things. 1) who was chosen to accompany Jesus to the Mountain Top, 2) what they heard and 3) the responsibility they had following this experience.
1) Who accompanied Him?
Jesus chose three of his disciplines. Peter, James, and John. According to Luke’s writings, these three had been with Jesus the longest. The bible doesn’t reveal why he chose these three. But what we do know about them, leads me to believe Jesus choose wisely. They were all leaders in the early church. Peter became the first leader of the early church. James gave his life for Jesus and is considered the first disciple martyred. John, the brother of Jesus and guardian of Mary, stood by Mary’s side during the crucifixion of her son, Jesus. He was the last of the disciples to die, exiled for his faith. Although we don’t have a recording of why he chose them, these three were close to him in his ministry witnessing many of his miraculous works.
Whether He knew how they would react to this experience or not, He trusted them to work their way through this mystery. They would be ever faithful to Him better understanding, Who He Said He was, The Son of God. You have probably heard, something like what my mother shared with me at a very young age, “At the end of your lifetime, you will be lucky to count on one hand those you could call friend, trust in and call upon.” Those you can count on are truly a blessing. Jesus counted on His disciples to follow him and be faithful.
Several questions crossed my mind as I thought about Jesus’ selection of the three disciples. Would Jesus choose me? Would he choose me to follow him up that mountain? Would he believe and trust in me? In my humanness, should I be chosen, what would my response be to such a divine revelation, should it occur in my lifetime? These questions led me to ask myself whether I have been faithful in my response to His calling on my life? Am I being faithful to who I know He is, by all I do and my witness to others? All questions, for us to reflect upon.
What did they hear?
The disciples heard, This is my Son, the Beloved. God acknowledges who Jesus was. He was His true Son. He instructs them to listen to Him. Remember, they had just spent time with him discussing Who He was, knowing some people were saying He was John the Baptist, others saying he was Elijah or one of the prophets coming back to life. In this divine revelation, they heard who He was, The Son of God. And as Jesus had warned them, He would suffer many things and He would be rejected. He would be killed. And He would be raised from the dead. They received endorsement through this divine revelation and
confirmation that all these things were to be. They needed only to listen and observe.
We are not walking with Jesus physically, as his disciples did. However, we do have the stories of Jesus’ ministry. As we read the gospels, we can hear from Him, learn from Him, and heed His instructions for our life.
It’s important to take time out of your busy life to hear Him and seek an understanding of purpose and meaning for your life. More importantly, to be open to our own Mountain Top experiences. They were given a responsibility by Jesus.
The disciples headed back to the world they had retreated from to resume their life. They were instructed to tell no one until Jesus had risen from the dead. We are not given information as to why He asked that of the disciples. We just know that was His directive to them. Now, that is a tall order after a Mountain Top experience. Our human nature wants to share and tell all. I imagine it could have gone something like this as they encountered others. They’d be saying to others “You Won’t believe what just happened! You will not believe what I saw and what I heard!” In our Forward daily devotion for today, it refers to the Transfiguration saying something like this happening today would certainly go viral through social media. But we know word traveled quickly then, as the word of Jesus’ healing of others traveled across the land. Many were brought to him with their needs of a
miracle. So, the disciples were told to tell no one until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. It was His timing and Jesus trusted them to follow his instruction.
I would suspect, the disciples came back changed. They had experienced not only a turning point in the church by witnessing the Transfiguration of Christ, but also a turning point in their own life. From that point on, I would imagine they heard and listened to Jesus through a different filter. As we retreat in life or have our own Mountain Top experiences, we will inevitably return to daily activities, to walk and talk among others, believers as well as non-believers. More than likely, they don’t want to really hear about our Mountain Top experience. But they will notice or hear how we are changed, touched by God, and enlightened by God through our actions and practices. Should we have those God-like, Mountain Top experiences, it will be our discernment and sensitivity to others as to when and how we share those experiences.
I end with words from our epistle reading in 2 Corinthians: “For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
It is my prayer for you as we end this season of Epiphany, where we have highlighted the divinity of the life and ministry of Jesus, that we be the light and approach the beginning of our Lenten season with trust in God as he speaks to us on our Lenten journey and transforms us in His likeness, in all that we say and do.
God bless you and God Bless All Saints.
