A mountain
top experience.
Mountains figure
in both of today’s readings. Moses goes up a mountain, Jesus takes the 3 disciples
up a mountain.
There are
other stories in the Bible that include mountains – Elijah defeating the prophets
of Baal on Mount Carmel [1 Kings 18:13]; Elijah and the still small voice ;
Jesus and the woman at the well discuss which mountain to worship God on; the sermon
on the mount that we have been reading the past few weeks; and many more. Mountains
mean something important is happening.
We still
talk about a mountain top experience, meaning something wonderful or amazing
has happened; something life changing; something remarkable and out of the
ordinary.
That the transfiguration
happened on a mountain is not surprising.
The lectionary
has this reading here, on the last Sunday before the beginning of Lent. So we
hear this after the sermon on the mount and before the temptations in the wilderness.
But in Matthew this scene is much later in the story.
There have
been healings and feeding the multitude, Peter’s declaration that Jesus is the
Messiah, then Jesus foretells his death and resurrection, then ‘ six days
later, …’; after coming down from the mountain, the next thing we hear about is
another healing and Jesus again tells
the disciples he will be put to death and rise 3 days later. Only a few
chapters over and we have the entry into Jerusalem that we call palm Sunday.
This is a
thick, rich, dense reading. There is a lot in here we could explore. So a few points to ponder:
· What happened
in the 6 days before this event? Are the 6 days symbolically related to the 6
days of creation? Does it relate to the 6 days Moses waited for Gods
instruction?
· Moses is
then on the mountain for 40 days and nights – where else do we hear that number?
40 years in the wilderness after the exodus, and Jesus spends 40 days in the wilderness
before the temptations. I doubt that calendars
were that common : 40 refers to a long
time.
· Jesus took
3 disciples – I wonder how he chose which ones to take. Often we think they
were the cream of the crop, but maybe they were the ones who needed to experience
this to better know who Jesus was.
· Jesus took
3 disciples, so on the mountain top there are 3 disciples and Moses, Elijah and
Jesus – another 3.
· The voice
from the cloud said: “this is my son, my beloved; with whom I am well pleased”
; where have we heard this before? Baptism of Jesus by John [Matthew 3: 17]
· The disciples
were overcome with fear after the voice – not seeing Moses and Elijah, but
after the voice – and Jesus touches them and told them not to be afraid.
o
When we are full of fear, are we aware of God’s presence with us? do we
trust God is present even when we can’t feel that presence?
o
The importance of the power of touch – comforting
another
For many people
this is a Jesus they can relate to, a Jesus whose face shines, whose clothes
are dazzling white. Jesus in his glory. Yet most of the time Jesus did not have
dazzling clothes or a shining face; most of what we hear of Jesus is about travelling
with disciples, healing people, including outcasts, teaching, feeding people. The
other image people have of Jesus is on the cross, or resurrected. Each of these
aspects of the life of Jesus add something to our understanding of Jesus.
Like our
own mountain top experiences, we don’t live there, they are fleeting; and we
need to get on with the everyday tasks of living. Jesus tells the disciples both here and after the
resurrection, to get on with living.
This morning
we will share in the bread and juice during communion; a time where we become
aware of the glory of Jesus, but also the life and death and resurrection of
Jesus; a life full of love and grace; a life that healed and nurtured,
comforted and challenged. In communion,
we too are aware of the touch of Jesus in our lives.
“This is where Jesus meets
us--touches us--calms our fears--strengthens us--and takes us off the mountain
back to the world with all its messes and problems to be signs of hope.” [i]
Which image of Jesus do we hold onto,
the dazzling bright Jesus in all his glory?
Or the Jesus who changes lives –
healing, feeding and loving?
What is the image of Jesus that
people see in your life?
Well done, Pearl. Lots of good questions to ponder about how we see Jesus.
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