A Mountain of Meaning Rev. Kim Graber March 2, 2014

A Mountain of Meaning Rev. Kim Graber March 2, 2014 I don t know if this is still the case, because I haven t asked him in a while, but when he was younger, the story of the transfiguration was my son, Jacob s favorite Bible story - although he preferred the story from the gospel of Luke and we are looking at Matthew today. When I asked him why this was his favorite Bible story, he said, It s just so amazing. And that is what makes it challenging for a pastor. What can one say about the transfiguration that would do justice to the holiness of it? Today, we will consider the miracle and holiness of the moment. But I would also like to share with you a bit of the human-ness of the story. During this season of Lent, which begins Wednesday, we will be following the threads that run throughout the story of God s people, leading to Jesus and the resurrection. This morning I would like to share with you how this moment in Jesus life and in the life of the disciples, fits into the beginning of the journey which we now call Lent. The story of the transfiguration - at least in the gospel of Matthew - takes place outside a town called Caesarea Philippi. If we look back to the 15th and 16th chapters of Matthew s gospel, we see that Jesus has been traveling to many places, teaching and preaching. Most recently, he has been in his home town of Nazareth, then teaching and preaching along the Sea of Galilee, then back to his home base, Capernaum. From there we have a story in which Jesus and his disciples withdraw. The end was coming near and Jesus still had so much to teach his disciples - so much more to say to them. There were still many things they could not understand - things they could not yet bear to hear. 1

Perhaps that is why he took them to the district of Caesarea Philippi, about 25-30 miles northeast of Capernaum. Caesarea Philippi was outside the domain of Herod, the ruler of Galilee, and inside the domain of Philip, one of the Roman governors. The population was primarily non-jewish, which would have allowed Jesus and the twelve some peace and quiet instead of the constant crowds closing in on them. The fact that his days in the flesh were short, was a paramount problem for Jesus. Was there anyone who understood him? Was there anyone who recognized Him for who he was? Was there anyone who, when he was gone from the flesh, would carry on His work and labor for His kingdom? What would happen to His people if there were no one who had even glimpsed the truth? So it is in Caesarea Philippi that Jesus asks the disciples who they believe him to be. It is a dramatic scene. There were very few districts with more religious associations than Caesarea Philippi. The area was literally filled with temples of the ancient Syrian Baal worship. There was a cavern which was said to have been the birthplace of the great god, Pan, the god of nature. In this district, there is also a place that is said to be where the Jordan River sprang to life. And finally, there was a great white marble temple, built by Herod the Great in honor of Caesar. In contrast, here is a homeless, penniless carpenter, with twelve very ordinary men around him. And while he is in this foreign district, the most orthodox of his people were planning to destroy him as a dangerous heretic. Yet, here he stands in the midst of the temples of the Syrian gods, where the Greek gods looked down, and the marble temple of Caesar loomed, and there, of all places, he asks them the question. 2

But he does not ask them directly. He begins by asking them what other people are saying about Him, and finally asking them, Who do you say that I am? And to Simon Peter s credit, he answers, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. And this is the reason Jesus announces that he will build His church on the rock. This is a play on words, since the Greek word for Peter is Petros, and in Greek, Petros means rock. I have always said that if I were a disciple, I would be Simon Peter. He is deeply spiritual, but is also sort of a bumbler. This conversation with Jesus is one of the times Peter was deeply spiritual. So six days after arriving in Caesarea Philippi, and after some teaching about what he will going through, Jesus takes them to the top of a very high mountain. Scripture does not tell us which mountain he takes us to, but it is assumed he takes them to Mt. Hermon, which, at 14 miles away from Caesarea Philippi, was still the closest mountain. To imagine this distance, imagine walking from here to Southwest Plaza, and that is just to get to the base of the mountain. Mount Hermon was also a very high mountain. At 9,400 feet, it was 11,000 feet above sea level. So, it is unlikely that they went all the way to the top, but they might have. Matthew does not tell us why Jesus took the three to the mountain. After all, was the 14 mile hike really necessary? Couldn t he have done his teaching in town, in a comfortable inn? 3

Jesus often went up on a mountain to pray, but this time there was a more specific reason. He needed to be sure that he was on the right track. Before he set out on his final journey to Jerusalem, Jesus had to be sure beyond all doubt that he was doing what God wanted him to do. He had to make certain that it was indeed God s will that he go to the cross. So Jesus went up the mountain to listen for the voice of God. It was somewhere on the slopes of that majestic mountain, that the transfiguration happened. We don t know what time of day the transfiguration occurred, although the gospel of Luke indicates it must have happened at night because the disciples were almost overcome by sleep. And truly, if God were going to transfigure Jesus so that his face and clothing shone like the sun and were as white as light, wouldn t he do it at night when the effect would be most powerful and glorious? This is what we do know - there, on that mountain slope, as Jesus was transformed, two great figures appeared with him - Moses and Elijah. This is one of the things I love most about scripture. I could probably spend the rest of my life referencing one passage of scripture to another, and I would still not find all of the references. In this passage, let s look at why Moses and Elijah were the two who appeared with Jesus and spoke with him. Note the similarities in the stories. - Both Moses and Elijah had their most intimate experiences with God on a mountain top. Moses received the tablets of the law on Mt. Sinai. It was on Mt. Horeb that Elijah found God - not in the wind, not in the earthquake, but in the still, small voice. 4

- Both Moses and Elijah had the experience of shining like the sun. When Moses came down from the mountain of Sinai, he did not know that his face shone. Elijah was taken into heaven in a fiery chariot. - There was something unusual and awesome surrounding the deaths of both these men. When Moses died on Mt. Nebo, God was the one who buried this great leader, and no one ever knew the place of the burial. And, as I just mentioned, Elijah was taken into heaven in a chariot of fire. Both were considered transcendent figures who didn t die but were lifted into heaven. In Jewish history, Moses was the greatest of all law-givers. He was supremely and uniquely the man who brought God s law to the people. Elijah was the greatest of all the prophets. In him the voice of God spoke to the people with directness. It is as if these greatest figures in Israel s history rose up and pointed Jesus on his way. It has been a consistent Jewish belief that Elijah was to be the herald and forerunner of the Messiah, and that when the Messiah came, he would be accompanied by Moses. Jesus, Moses, and Elijah are in continuity with the fulfillment of God s work. Their appearance was the signal for Jesus to go on. 5

But this is not the end of the story. As magnificent as the transfiguration of Jesus, and the appearance of Moses and Elijah is, there is more. A cloud overshadows all of them and God s voice speaks from that cloud, saying, This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him! Again, notice the similarities. - In the book of Exodus, we read of many occasions in which God was in the cloud: The pillar of cloud that led the people out of Egypt The cloud that covered the tent of the tabernacle The cloud in which God appeared to give Moses the tablets of the law Jesus came to the mountain to affirm he was following God s path. He received that affirmation in the metamorphosis of his appearance, in the appearance of the greatest law giver and greatest prophet in history, and finally, in the voice of God, giving him clear approval. It was this experience which allowed Jesus to walk the way of the cross. And of course, this experience also changed the disciples who witnessed it. They must have been bewildered by Jesus insistence that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer and die. It must have seemed to them that there was nothing but darkness and shame ahead. Even though they did not completely understand this moment of glory, it, had to have confirmed for them that the cross was not all humiliation - that it was also tinged with glory. 6

Oh how Peter and all of us would rather stay in that moment of glory than to get on with the daily struggles of life. But this glimpse of glory is given to him and to us precisely so that we might be able to have the strength for daily ministry. It is given to us so that the common things - and yes, even the difficult things, might be covered in a radiance that we have never before seen. As we begin these serious and sometimes somber days of Lent, let us hold on to this glimpse of glory. And may this gift sustain us through the good times and the bad, and give us the strength for our daily ministry. 7

Matthew 17:1-9 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him! When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, Get up and do not be afraid. And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead. As we come to this time of communion, we are aware that Jesus - the One whose 8

holiness is shown to us in His transfiguration - gave himself for the world. As we come to this table, we celebrate a holy meal, as Jesus did with his disciples on the night he was betrayed. As we prepare our hearts to come to Christ s table, let us recognize who we are God s own - brothers and sisters in him. When Jesus sat at table and enjoyed a meal with tax collector and sinners, he proclaimed that God s love knows no bounds. We proclaim again that witness as we come to this table. This is an open communion. All who desire to draw closer to our Lord are invited now to share at God s table and be nourished by the bread of life and the cup of salvation. Great and wonderful are your deeds, Almighty God. You spread a table in the wilderness and give bread and drink to your people. We pray that you would bless these, the fruits of the earth, that as we partake of these common elements, they might become for us reminders of the amazing love of Christ. it is in his name we pray. Amen. Almighty God, we thank you for your deliverance, which moves us from despair to hope, from brokenness to wholeness, and from death to life. We thank you for the love of Jesus, a love that moved him to sacrifice himself for our redemption. We that you for the grace we experience as we receive these symbols of the life he gave. Make us worthy of this great love. Amen. 9