Transfiguration of Our Lord / Last Sunday after the Epiphany , 03/03/2019

Sermon on Luke 9:28-36 (37-43a), by Carl A. Voges

The Passage

“Now about eight days after these sayings he (Jesus) took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him.

“And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah’ – not knowing what he said. As he was saying these things, a cloud came and over-shadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!’ And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.”

“On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, ‘Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out. It convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and shatters him, and will hardly leave him. And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.’”

“Jesus answered, ‘O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.’ While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. And all were astonished at the majesty of God.”

[English Standard Version]

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” [2 Corinthians 3.18]

In the Name of Christ + Jesus our Lord

Our doctor is meeting with us in one of the examining rooms after receiving the results of extensive blood tests. He talks with us about our eating and exercising habits. Are we good listeners? Or are we satisfied to just go through the motions? A friend sends a text to inquire if the two of you can get together. There have been a lot of pressures going on in the friend’s life and those pressures need to be relieved. Are we good listeners? Or are we satisfied to just go through the motions?

At first, it may not be obvious, but, through the Scriptures and Sacraments this morning, our Lord has brought us into his presence. Under extraordinary circumstances, we are being urged to listen to him! Will we? Or will we just go through the motions?

Today’s Gospel is a magnificent passage. After spending eight weeks in the Epiphany season and seeing how the incarnate Son of God is pushing his Life into this world, it glimpses us with the unexpected and stunning conclusion as his ministry rolls on to his crucifixion and resurrection.

The events in this passage take place eight days after Jesus has sketched out the details of following him. Those details include the suffering, rejecting, killing and raising of the Son of Man as well as the denial of self and acceptance of the cross. Jesus takes Peter, John and James up a mountain to pray (the mountain signifies the presence of the Lord God; prayer signifies conversing with the Lord God). Jesus’ face changes and his clothes become dazzling white.

Suddenly, the disciples see two of the most prominent persons in the Old Testament (Moses and Elijah) talking with Jesus! They appear in glory (the eternal reality of the Lord’s presence) and they are speaking of Jesus’ departure. The Greek word used for “departure” is Exodus. It not only recalls the Exodus from Egypt, it also anticipates Jesus’ approaching crucifixion and resurrection at Jerusalem.

Peter, John and James are weighed down with sleep, but since they are pressed to stay awake, they see this glory and the two men with Jesus. Peter, speaking to Jesus, notes how good it is to be here and proposes three dwellings. This reflects the Old Testament practice of enshrining those places where the Lord God appears, such shrines would be for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Luke’s comment that Peter does not know what he is saying is an intriguing one!

While Peter is speaking, a cloud overshadows them and they are terrified as they enter it. This cloud recalls the Lord’s presence as he led his people through their wilderness wanderings for forty years. It also recalls for us the dense fogs that result from us always focusing on ourselves. Being in such a cloud reminds us of a major theme in Luke’s Gospel – the fear of God brings his mercy; the fear of everything else brings his anger (an insight brought out by Robert Bertram at a retreat in the early 2000s).

The voice from the cloud says, “This is my Son, my Chosen! Listen to him!” (We are to pay close attention to what he is saying and carry it out!). This voice echoes our Lord’s Baptism and it anticipates the completion of that Baptism in his dying and rising. When the voice finishes speaking, Jesus is found alone. The disciples keep silence and, in those days, tell no one of what they have seen.

Next day, when they come down from the mountain, a great crowd meets them. A man begs Jesus to look at his convulsing son. The man reports that he begged the disciples to cast out the spirit, but they could not. Jesus answers him with this observation, “You faithless and twisted generation! How long am I to be with you and bear with you!” This observation exposes the continual love we have for ourselves and our gods. Our Lord recognizes we prefer the twisted ways of the world. His comment about bearing with us is a reminder that his presence is constantly whirling around us from the holy places of his Scriptures and Sacraments and will do so until the End-of-Time.

Jesus orders the man’s son to be brought to him. The demon dashes the boy to the ground with convulsions, but Jesus rebukes the unclean spirit, heals the boy and gives him back to the father. All are amazed at the greatness of God (it is an incredible display of Jesus’ glory on mountain!).

The impact of this stunning and magnificent passage is deep and broad. It has the potential to infect our conversations with one another, especially as we make the turn into Ash Wednesday. This passage is glimpsing us with the glory radiating from the Son’s crucifixion and resurrection. Such glory contrasts sharply with glory as the world understands it.

The world’s glory is dominated by enormous wealth, attractive appearance and unyielding power. The world’s glory is built by people driving themselves to be successful, climbing out of and away from any weakness and suffering. The world’s glory is maintained by the people around us who bask in its glow and who keep reminding us of how much we mean to them.

What is tragic and pathetic about the world’s glory is not just its dishonesty and emptiness, it also has no endurance and permanence.

The Lord’s glory, on the other hand, is centered exclusively in his activity. The Lord’s glory radiates through people who struggle to be faithful to his Life and its ways, people who are imbedded in the suffering and weakness of the world’s life. The Lord’s glory is maintained by the holy places with which he surrounds us. That’s why we continually remember his Baptism of us, why we let our lives be shaped by his holy Writings, why we let his Forgiveness work its way into all our relationships, why we eagerly take part in his Supper on a steady basis.

What is joyous and exhilarating about the Lord’s glory is its fullness and honesty, its permanence and endurance through this life to the new one in eternity!

Through his Scriptures and Sacraments our Lord has brought us into his presence this morning. Under extraordinary circumstances, we have been urged to listen to him! Will we? Or will we just go through the motions? Today’s Gospel is a magnificent passage. May the Son’s Spirit impress this glimpse of the crucifixion and resurrection deeply into our lives, enabling us to plunge further into the Son’s ministry as we enter the Lenten season!

Now may the peace of the Lord God, which is beyond all understanding, keep our hearts

and minds through Christ + Jesus our Lord.

Pr. Carl A. Voges
Columbia, South Carolina, USA
E-Mail: carl.voges4@icloud.com

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