Transfiguration: Understanding the Contrast
Today is the Last Sunday of Epiphany. Lent starts Wednesday. For the last Sunday in this season of light manifesting who Jesus is and his purpose for coming among us, we should end BIG. So it’s no surprise that the lectionary gives us a mountaintop experience with dazzling light- the Transfiguration.
Jesus takes his most important future leaders up the mountain: Peter, James, and John. They will be overseers (episcopoi) of the three most important centers of the Christ movement: Jerusalem, Rome, and Antioch. Jesus isn’t taking them on a nice mountain hike on a beautiful day, but is giving them this special time away to teach them something very, very important: an experience that will make them rock solid in their faith through thick and thin, despite their human weakness and fear (think Peter’s denial).
They arrive on the mountaintop and Jesus steps ahead and turns around and with him appear Moses and Elijah. The three “Bigs” are all here! Moses represents the Law (Torah), Elijah represents the Prophets, and Jesus himself. All of a sudden Jesus begins to shine- only Jesus. (Shine Jesus Shine, as a favorite song of mine goes.) Only Jesus shines with the Father’s glory. Are Peter, James, and John getting the message?
Peter wants to enshrine the experience. “Let me make three tents: one for each of you.” (Peter wants to put off, as long as possible, the journey to Jerusalem. He knows Jesus and the disciples will be in mortal danger there.) The only answer Peter and the others get is a Voice out of a cloud: This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him! After this epiphany, Elijah and Moses disappear, and only Jesus stands before them. Listen to him! echoes in their ears. Still in shock, having seen what God wanted them to see, it was time to go down the mountain and continue their journey to Jerusalem. Jesus tells them not to tell anyone until he rises from the dead! What!?
Jesus brought the three up the mountain to teach them (and us) something very, very important. What is that? We need to unpack the experience a bit.
We’ve all heard the Transfiguration story many times. I’ve always thought and understood that Moses and Elijah were wonderful, positive figures alongside Jesus. You have representation of the whole biblical story, the Law and the Prophets, Jesus, everything is covered, so to speak. Most sermons I’ve heard or given have presented this story in a positive light (no pun intended). But in recent years my study of this passage has changed focus, not on the wonderful, historical spectrum of the Law (Moses), the Prophets (Elijah), and the coming of Jesus, but rather on the contrast of Moses and Elijah withJesus. The Voice from the cloud didn’t say “Listen to them,” but Listen to him!
After the fall in Garden, it was every person for themselves (Cain killed Abel); Abraham is called, and in old age, Sarah and he have a son, Isaac. When Abraham goes to sacrifice Isaac, God stops him; Moses comes forth and is given the Law, the centerpiece of which is a command not to kill. This Commandment was a necessary improvement! But the Law becomes rationalized over time to mean: Don’t murder your neighbor, but you can kill your enemies. Elijah comes along and confronts the prophets of Ba’al who sacrifice humans and animals to Ba’al all the time. Elijah challenges them to a fire building contest and when the prophets of Ba’al lose, Elijah who railed against their abominable sacrifices, has them all butchered!
St. Paul reflects on his experience of all this by basically saying that the Law and the Prophets were “hijacked by sin.” Paul came to understand that Jesus came to end “sacred” violence: the rationalization of the teaching of the Law and Prophets that continued to allow the victimization and killing of people in the name of God and/or to protect God-given values. In stark contrast, Jesus taught love of enemies and freely presented himself to the “powers of this world” as a Victim to forgive sin. Jesus was put to death on the Cross and was raised up in vindication of everything he lived and taught. The heritage of Moses and Elijah came up short, with hands full of blood. Don’t listen to them, Listen to Jesus!
This is why we gather at the Eucharist: to give thanks to God using Jesus’ own Substance and to hear his teaching and come to repentance: the changing of our thinking to live more and more like Jesus: a contrast to the world around us. Contrast, contrast, contrast. Amen!
John+
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| St. Alban |
Saint Alban Episcopal Mission (English, Anglican Communion) meets for mass every Sunday at 10:00 A.M. (see welcome letter at sidebar) at Casa Convento Concepcion, 4a Calle Oriente No. 41, Antigua, Guatemala.
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| The Reverend John Smith, Vicar 5235-6674 cell telephone (502 country code) |
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