“Glory to God whose power working in us can do infinitely more than we could ask or imagine.”[1] I speak to you in the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. AMEN
Good morning Church! In case you need a fun Church History Fact for Church Trivial Pursuit Game, today marks the 565th year since the Guttenberg Bible was printed (1455). It was the first great book printed in Western Europe from movable metal type. It was quite an endeavor; Johannes Guttenberg went broke making it. Forty-nine copies written in the Latin Vulgate have survived. I had the opportunity to see one at the Virginia Theological Seminary. This has nothing to do with my sermon today other than it is a fun fact.
SO, here we are at the Last Sunday of the Epiphany, Transfiguration Sunday, this is the eve of Lent…. Easter is right around the corner! Wow seems like yesterday; the baby Jesus was just born! Not that long ago we were celebrating Christmas! (Sixty days ago, exactly!) And, now Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. This story is called “the Transfiguration” of Jesus and it is told in all three of the synoptic Gospels – Matthew, Mark, and Luke. We don’t use that word very often “transfigured.” It means to transform into something more elevated or beautiful. We just listened to Matthew’s version of the transfiguration. And all three of the gospels seek to help us answer the question “Who is Jesus?”[2] There are many interesting concepts in this gospel reading that could very well be full length motion pictures --let alone sermons ---and I would like to share with you a few of these ideas.
First, Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up to the mountain to pray. And while Jesus was praying his appearance changed – “he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became a dazzling white.”[3] This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for these three poor old disciples. This is almost as if Jesus was being highlighted by God as the Messiah! God said ok, let me make it really clear just who Jesus is. It wasn’t enough that Jesus had just walked on water, healed a demoniac, restored a girl to life from a distance and healed crowds of people – the lame, the maimed, the blind, and the mute, fed the Four Thousand, and been identified by Peter (the head disciple) as the Messiah of God, just in the last chapter (16). But rather here his appearance changes– and his clothes became dazzling white - astounding and impressive.
Second – what is Jesus doing when this happens? Jesus is praying. This transformation of Jesus takes place in the midst of prayer. Jesus was glorified ---in prayer. God meets us in prayer, and we meet God in prayer. And as further proof of who Jesus is -- two men are speaking with him, but these are not ordinary men – it’s Moses and Elijah. They BOTH have been dead and gone for a very long time. And yet they are to be witnesses in the glory. Moses is the giver of the law and Elijah, the prophet and wonder-worker and the forerunner of the messiah, from the Old Testament.[4] He is the one who did not die but rather entered Heaven alive “by a whirlwind” and on chariot of Fire. The Book of Malachi prophesies that Elijah’s return is the harbinger (forerunner) of the Messiah. Meaning that he will return right before the Messiah does. References to Elijah appear in the Mishnah and Talmud, the New Testament, the Quran and the Bahá'í writings.[5] Both were expected to return before the final judgement, and both had experiences of God on a mountain. And they are discussing with Jesus his EXODUS– his departure, his migration from this worldly place – his death, resurrection and ascension – all of which occur in Jerusalem.[6] All of this happens while Jesus is in prayer. And even though the disciples are sleepy, they manage to stay awake this time and are aware of what is going on and are beginning to really get an inkling as to who Jesus really is.
Finally, while Peter is suggesting building three tents “a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. I could preach just a sermon on GOD telling Peter “to be quiet and just listen.” I think that Peter’s “transformation” in this story is important also.
[7] The cloud is always the symbol of God’s or in the language of the Old Testament it symbolizes that God is present.[8] When was another time that we heard God speak out loud like this? Yes, at the baptism of Jesus we heard God speak but did anyone else. “Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus had also been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened…...And a voice came from heaven.
“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”[9] This time, however, there can be no doubt. Peter heard the voice, James heard the voice, John heard the voice. It was the voice of God declaring, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” This all happened right in front of them. There could no longer be any doubt or uncertainty who this man Jesus is! The Messiah, the son of the living God. And even being with him through all of this --- these disciples who saw Jesus transfigured, who saw Moses and Elijah with him, who heard the voice of the Almighty had doubts! And a very short time later Peter would deny him three times and the other two would be behind a locked door as if they had no idea of Christ’s power or his purpose. How do we explain that?
We can’t -- except to say that they are very much like us. They had faith like a yo-yo. “Sometimes up sometimes down sometimes all around.” I have experienced that. Have you? There are times in my life when my faith meter is very high and other times when it is not so high. This is when we help can each other. Therefore, that is why we say the Nicene Creed - the statement of our belief – (profession of our faith) - together out loud. When I am low sometimes your faith is needed to fill me back up and when you are low someone else’s faith meter fills you. That is how we are the community of the faithful. I think that anyone who is really serious about their faith struggles at some point along the way. That is ok. This is where the free gift of the Grace of God comes into play. Grace is free but faith is fragile.
We are given free will to do basically what we please. We are free to follow Jesus. And like the disciples we need lots of help figuring out who this Jesus guy is. May I suggest that this Lent don’t give something up and don’t take something on – but focus on your prayer life. Maybe think about adjusting the current practice. Maybe select a new time during the day for prayer each day. You might use our Daily Offices in the Book of Common Prayer. We believe that praying is very important – praying shapes our believing.
Little Johnny had been misbehaving and was sent to his room. After a while he emerged and informed his mother that he had thought it over and then said a prayer.
"Fine", said the pleased mother. "If you ask God to help you not misbehave, He will help you."
"Oh, I didn't ask Him to help me not misbehave," said Johnny. "I asked Him to help you put up with me."[10]
Lent is a time when we get closer to GOD. Where do you mark the places you encounter God? That sense of awe? When have you experienced God in your life? Prayer can be the place where you meet God. Where you meet Jesus. May I suggested that we intentionally pray, unapologetically pray, shamefully pray, boldly pray, like we have never done before, bring prayer into your everyday life deliberately, ON PURPOSE. We have a multitude of prayers in our Book of Common Prayer.
Prayer doesn’t change God, but rather it changes the person praying.[11]Prayer will change us. Our prayer book has a lot of prayers you can use. Pick one of those to pray every day during lent. May I suggest the Prayer attributed to St. Francis on page 833 in our Book of Common Prayer. Please turn to that page and we will read it all together.
A Prayer attributed to St. Francis
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
[1] http://jokes.christiansunite.com/Prayer/Helpful_Prayer.shtml Accessed February 23, 2020. [2] Soren Kierkegaard - https://www.awakenthegreatnesswithin.com/35-inspirational-quotes-on-prayer/ Accessed February 23, 2020.