[_ver-05_]
2nd Sunday Lent, 24 February 2013
[Genesis
15:5-12, 17-18 | Psalm 27 | Philippians
3:17-4:1 | Luke 9:28b-36]
TITLE:
Surround Sound … and Light
[__01] This is the Gospel of the
Transfiguration … the Transfiguration in which Jesus is surrounded by bright
light, surrounded by Moses and Elijah on a mountain.
The Transfiguration is
an exaltation, a glorification of Jesus, anticipating the Resurrection.
Moses and Elijah,
famous Hebrew prophets who had died centuries earlier, are part of this
dazzling white vision. (NOTE = Moses had also seen God’s glory on Mt. Sinai (Exodus, 2x, receiving commandments) and Elijah on Mt. Carmel with the 450 prophets of Baal (1 Kings18:19))
Both Moses and Elijah had also seen God’s glory on a mountain, Mt. Sinai and Mt. Carmel.
Both Moses and Elijah had also seen God’s glory on a mountain, Mt. Sinai and Mt. Carmel.
In this
Transfiguration, Jesus is surrounded and glorified at a high altitude.
Later the Lord will be
surrounded and accused, at a low altitude … kicked to the ground, when he is
arrested in Jerusalem and put to death.
The Transfiguration –
in all its brightness offers consolation to the apostles and disciples. Save
that photo on your hard drive for future reference.
[__02] Jesus,
Peter, James, and John are up above. They are on the mountain.
Coming round the mountain could be …
dazzling white visions which are snow or powder or ice …
On a mountain, the
5-day forecast prediction on the Weather Channel might not help. There may only
be time to react to the immediate whiteness or white-out …the brightness which
could cause harm, danger.
This could leave us –
very rapidly -- surrounded, stranded, with no easy way out. It might be an
avalanche, such a dazzling white vision at a high altitude.
[__03] Peter, James, and John are surrounded ..
and quickly. They were asleep for a little while, suddenly now seeing the
transfigured Jesus.
In this Gospel, the
Transfiguration, we read of the amazement, the fear of the disciples. An
avalanche, perhaps in a spiritual or emotional sense.
Peter, James, and John
see “clothing [which becomes] dazzling white.” (cf. Luke 9:__)
[__04] The Transfiguration is a sudden
event. It is the event not predicted in
the 5-day forecast.
And, often, we are
tempted to disregard things which come up suddenly.
Do we sometimes
disregard the surprises … especially if there is anything negative in it for
you or for me?
In an academic sense –
in school – we might do this, saying. Well, I don’t really enjoy or understand
a particular subject or professor. There is nothing there for me. I’m not going
to work that hard… or worry about it.
And, then, we may feel
surprised or less motivated as a result to respond to anything off the radar,
anything unexpected.
In an everyday sense,
we might do the same.
That is, we only focus
on what is already pre-programmed, scheduled …or in the 5-day forecast.
And, then we may only
see what we want to see. At this point… Peter, James and John are seeing – in
the vision on the mountain – only what they want to see.
As Paul Simon wrote
and sang, “a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.” (NOTE: Lyrics to Sound of Silence by Paul Simon)
If something or
someone [not on the agenda] were to require my attention or service, I could
very easily excuse myself of taking no action. (NOTE: Excellent example in C.S. Lewis chapter “Let’s Pretend” in Mere Christianity about “suddenness of provocation… reveals how ill tempered I am…”)
The Transfiguration
was not on the forecast, not on the agenda of the disciples.
And, for this reason,
it very easily reveals their understanding and faith.
They are on a journey,
on a spiritual journey as we are learning about their faith.
They are devoted…but
as Jesus observes, they are very focused on building things outwardly
externally.
Sometimes, we only
what to do the things which are noticed, build externally… or be called on in
class.
Jesus does not want
them to build a tent on the mountain. Rather, he wants to build a tent to dwell
in their hearts.
The Good News is that
there is a new environment, a new atmosphere, a new altitude.. a new covenant
and a new relationship with him in mind.
We reach this not by
climbing a mountain, but by climbing out of our routine for intimate moments of
prayer to listen to his voice.
The Good News is that
Jesus wants to surround us also. [__fin__]
[1]
Moses had also seen God’s glory on Mt. Sinai (Exodus, 2x, receiving
commandments) and Elijah on Mt. Carmel with the 450 prophets of Baal (1 Kings
18:19)
[2] Paul
Simon, The Sound of Silence
[3]
Excellent example in C.S. Lewis chapter “Let’s Pretend” in Mere Christianity
about “suddenness of provocation… reveals how ill tempered I am…”
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