By Sarah Murphy
Season: Transfiguration
Readings: Exodus 34:29-35 | 2 Peter 1:16-21 | Luke 9:28-36
Several years ago, I was going on a family holiday to celebrate my Mum’s 70th birthday. We were travelling together up to Russell so the car was full with my parents, myself, my sister, and her kids. The kids were about 7 at the time. We were packed up and locked in for a 3-hour drive when 5 minutes into the journey we pulled up in front of the chemist and my mum announced she needed to pop in and collect a prescription. My nephew announced in a deadpan voice “I wasn’t expecting that.”
I wonder if Peter, James and John who went up a mountain to pray with Jesus had their own more serious “I wasn’t expecting that” moment.
Jesus had taken the three up a mountain to spend time in prayer. Now suddenly, Jesus’ face has changed, and his clothes are dazzling white. Not only that there are two other men with him – Luke tells us these men are Moses and Elijah. The disciples had seen Jesus do miraculous works of healing and provision, but I bet they weren’t expecting this!
Art images of the transfiguration show some interesting depictions of this moment: Jesus shining and floating in mid-air and the disciples cowering in fear.
Looking back to our Old Testament reading we see some common themes. Mountains, cloud, a visible display of God’s glory.
We know as New Zealanders that mountains are important. I grew up in the shadow of Rangitoto. I know it’s shape and form. When you drive into Auckland and see One Tree Hill you know you are home. Perhaps you have a closer connection to another mountain. If we introduce ourselves with a pepeha we acknowledge the mountain which carries significance in our lives. That anchors us to a place and an identity.
When we see the biblical writers talking about mountains it is good to pause and look closely. Throughout scripture we see God revealing Godself on mountains.
- God speaks to Moses and provides the Ten Commandments at Mt Sinai (Ex 24, 34)
- Jesus gives his Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5-7)
These are not just lessons on how to live. They are a window into God’s character and nature. We should stop and listen.
So again here, on this mountain, God is revealing more about who Jesus is and who God is.
What are Moses and Elijah doing there and why are they talking to Jesus?
Moses represents the Law – if you see paintings of the transfiguration you will notice that often Moses is carrying the tablets of stone.
Elijah represents the prophets – who prophesied that a new kingdom was coming.
Both Moses and Elijah were people who had encounters with God on mountains. They had seen God’s glory. But they also both experienced the suffering that comes with obedience to God.
They are talking to Jesus about his departure which he was going to accomplish at Jerusalem.
The word departure is the same word as exodus.[1] It also is a euphemism for death. Moses and Elijah are talking to Jesus about his death which will soon happen in Jerusalem. Only through this death and resurrection can Jesus fulfil the law and prophets (Matt 5:17). Jesus’ coming death is ushering in a greater Exodus. This new Exodus is not about freedom from physical slavery but freedom from the power of sin and death.
In the previous passage, Jesus told his disciples that he would suffer, die and be raised. This conversation with Moses and Elijah confirms it again. Jesus needs to follow this path to Jerusalem and his death.
If it wasn’t enough to see Jesus transfigured and his clothes glowing, if it wasn’t enough to hear Moses and Elijah speaking, now God speaks!
Clouds are also significant in the Old Testament. God led the people out of Egypt, guiding them with a pillar of cloud by day. On Mount Sinai when Moses went up the mountain it was covered in cloud. The cloud represents God’s presence with people.
As the cloud covers the mountain, it is no surprise the disciples are terrified. God speaks:
This is my Son, the Chosen; listen to him
This declaration is very similar to God’s statement about Jesus at his baptism. Similar, but slightly different.
- At the baptism God is speaking to Jesus. Here God is speaking to the disciples.
- At the baptism God calls Jesus his Son. Here Jesus is the Chosen.
- At the baptism God declares his love for Jesus. Here God tells the disciples to Listen to Jesus
This is a confirmation of Jesus’ identity.
- In Luke 9:9 Herod has been asking people who Jesus is.
- In Luke 9:18/20 Jesus asks the disciples who people say he is and who they think he is.
- Peter declares Jesus is the Messiah
- Now this declaration is backed up God.
- Jesus is God’s son.
- The Chosen one.
It seems Peter, James and John were completely at a loss for what to say. They stay silent and don’t talk about this to anyone else at the time. As we see from our New Testament reading as time went on they began to put the pieces together. Peter recounts this incident in his epistle. He notes that they were eyewitnesses and therefore their testimony about Jesus is trustworthy.
But what does this all mean for us?
The problem with getting to the top of the mountain is that you need to come back down.
I used to work in overseas missions. You meet some interesting people in foreign missions. We used to have a saying that some people were so heavenly-minded that they were no earthly good. That is to say that they wanted to spend their whole lives in prayer or worship but they often were the ones who didn’t do the dishes.
This passage has something to say to us about real life.
Peter, in his shock at seeing Moses and Elijah with Jesus, offers to build three dwellings for them. But the offer goes nowhere. Jesus knows he can’t stay on the mountain, he has to go to Jerusalem. The text directly following this account is Jesus returning to his other disciples to find that they were unable to cast a demon out of a boy. Yes, Jesus is the Son of God. The one through whom all God’s promises in the Old Testament will be fulfilled. But people still need healing. The world is still full of pain and suffering. Jesus is yet to face his greatest pain and suffering.
After highs come lows.
After glory comes pain.
The spiritual cannot be separated from everyday life. Our church follows the liturgical calendar. This means we divide the year up into seasons. These seasons have colours. You can see from the picture the colours of each season. Our liturgical colours are behind the cross and on display in the Priest’s stoles to help us keep track of where we are. We have Advent, Christmas, Lent, Holy Week and Easter. But most of our year is spent in “ordinary time.” We have high days and holy days where we climb the mountain. But we must come down into ordinary time.
We don’t encounter God’s glory then set up camp there and never leave. The appropriate response to any revelation from God is obedience.
Jesus is obedient to follow through on his calling.
We are called to be obedient to Jesus in the mundaneness of everyday life.
God’s words should stay with us. This is my Son. My Chosen One. Listen to HIM.
What does obedience look like?
Is there something that God has been nudging you to do? Something you need to make right?
- Perhaps you have felt the nudge from God to bring food for the food bank, give towards Seasons or the kickstart programme from last week.
- Maybe you know there is a friend who needs a call but they are hard work.
- Do you need to apologise to your kids but you haven’t?
- Is there a grudge you have been holding onto where you need to move towards forgiveness?
- Is there someone you are called to serve and love in a tangible way.
The question we take into our week is “What is God saying? What are you doing about it?”
It is never too late to listen to God. Delayed obedience is still obedience.
Amen
[1] N. T. Wright, Luke for Everyone, 2nd ed. (London: Louisville, KY: SPCK; Westminster John Knox Press, 2004), 114.