Can We Stay Here?

Scripture Reading

New Revised Standard Version: Updated Edition Matthew 17

17 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became bright as light. 3 Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will set up three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” 8 And when they raised their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

9 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.”

Kids to Knowing Place

Introduction: Cry Night

Last weekend I was away leading worship at a Youth Retreat at Pine Springs camp, something I’ve been doing for a whole bunch of years.

In fact, this worship leadership has exposed me to something that actually kind of bothers me…especially when someone gave it a name.

I was leading worship for a week long mission trip, and they told me that Thursday night, the night before we came home, was “Cry night.”

The leaders of this retreat said that the night before everyone goes home, they expect the teenagers to break out in to tears after the teaching, and especially during worship.

Sure enough, it went exactly as they predicted it would.

But then I came to discover that it was true of just about every retreat I lead worship for.

When the retreat ends on Friday, Cry night is Thursday.

When the retreat ends on Sunday, Cry night is Saturday.

And then I was shocked to learn a little while ago that when I did a two night retreat, just a Friday and a Saturday, wouldn’t you know it: Friday night became cry night!

Now, there are worship leaders and teachers out there who have in my career exploited this.

They try their best to pick emotional songs and give more emotional than usual teachings.

And I just need to get this out of the way up front, exploiting someone’s emotions in the name of Jesus is never cool.

But I think at it’s purest, there is something interesting going on here.

I think these teenagers have had a vital encounter with Jesus, far away from home and their normal every day lives, and it left a mark on them.

So much so that the thought of going home is…well, difficult!

Scripture Breakdown

Six Days Later…Peter’s declaration

Our passage today starts with the phrase “Six days later.”

Quick tip: When you are studying scripture and see something like that, go back and see what happened just before it.

The original texts of our Scriptures did not have these verse and chapter markings, they were meant to flow as one coherent thought.

Right before this in Matthew’s Gospel we have Peter making a bold proclamation about Jesus:

You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God

And then, in classic Peter fashion, he screws it up three seconds later.

Jesus says that he’s going to be killed, but then rise on the third day.

Peter says “No way! That can’t possibly happen to you!”

To which Jesus responds “Get behind me Satan.”

Things were going so well there for Peter for a second.

Then Jesus has a teaching for the disciples, that picking up their cross is the way of the Kingdom.

That’s probably a good sermon for another day.

But he ends that teaching by saying “There are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”

…Six days later...

Something happened

Jesus takes his “inner circle” of disciples, Peter James and John up a mountain by themselves.

And then as is often the case with an experience of Christ, something that is hard to explain happens.

Jesus is “transfigured.”

The greek is Metamorphase, which really just means to change.

Jesus is changed, something is different.

And it’s bright! There are special effects!

And Moses and Elijah are snowing up!

We need to be clear, though they might not be this supernatural, we have experiences of the Divine all the time.

Maybe you’ve been in the depths of a conversation with a good friend, and you realize that something has changed.

Maybe you have had an experience of nature, like staying up all night watching a thunder storm.

Or maybe you’ve had an experience where the memory of someone from your past has come on strong, and brought you a sense of relief.

Whatever the case may be, we are having experiences of the Divine all the time, all around us.

Which is important, because I don’t think this story is about the experience from Jesus’ perspective.

I think this story is about the experience from Peter’s.

Peter’s response: Let’s just live here!

We can break Peter’s response down to two parts:

This is a really good thing!

And you know what? He’s right!?

Any time we have an experience of the Divine, it’s worth celebrating!

Whether it’s a tremendous moment like this with pyrotechnics or a small whisper in our hearts it’s a very good thing when we catch ourselves aware of what Jesus is up to in our lives.

All the way back in Genesis, God has been showing us what the difference is between good and not good, and encouraging us to point it out for ourselves.

This moment, right here that Peter finds himself in, it’s a good thing.

And then, in classic Peter fashion, he screws it up like three seconds later.

The only thing better than a good thing is a good thing that lasts forever!

Let’s build tents!

Let’s stay here.

This is a magical moment, and I want it to keep on going.

The only thing better than a good thing is a good thing that lasts forever!

Peter is so overwhelmed by what he’s experiencing, he doesn’t want to come back down that mountain.

He doesn’t want to go back to whatever life was like before this.

He doesn’t want to go back to the hum drums.

He doesn’t want to go back to itinerant preaching.

He wants to stay here, in this good place, and in fact he wants to live there forever.

Can’t we just stay here?

God’s Response:

Now at this point, God feels the need to weigh in on the situation, and he has two reminders for the boys.

Baptism Reminder

This voice from a cloud says exactly what the voice from the cloud said at Jesus’ baptism.

This is my Son, the Beloved.

With him I am well pleased.

This is a reminder back to what Peter’s declaration was just six days ago.

This is the Son of God.

This is the Messiah.

This is the one who is going to save us.

But apparently, it’s not enough to know this alone, because the voice adds one more piece to the puzzle.

Listen To Him

Apparently, it’s not enough.

Apparently, it’s not enough to just know that Jesus is the Messiah.

Apparently, it’s not enough to have our theology worked out.

Apparently, it’s not enough to have mystical experiences of the divine.

It would seem that we have an added step: we need to listen to Jesus.

And I get the sense that it’s not listen to him in the same way that one listens to music or a good podcast.

I get the sense that it’s “listen to him” the way that an exhausted mother says it to her twins...

It’s the kind of “Listen to him” that sort of indicates they haven’t been doing that lately...

It’s the kind of “Listen to him” that means there are actions that ought to follow.

It’s the kind of “Listen to him” that means change needs to come.

So naturally, we have to wonder, what does Jesus say after all of this?

What Jesus Says:

The disciples are so scared from everything that’s happening that they bury their faces in their hands, they can’t even bare to look up.

So Jesus comes over and touches them.

How tender our Messiah can be!

And he says two things that they need to listen to:

Don’t Be Afraid

So much of what we experience in life is something to be afraid of.

Routine trips to the dentist.

The dog in the yard across the street.

And when Jesus shows up in our lives in a powerful way.

I have a feeling this encouragement was not limited to this exact moment and for these disciples alone.

When life gets difficult, do not be afraid.

When you are out of your comfort zone, do not be afraid.

When you are experiencing God in a new way, even one that is different from how you’ve always experienced God, do not be afraid.

But then Jesus adds on.

We Gotta Go!

Is this a response to the whole “tents” thing?

We can’t stay up here.

We can’t live in this moment, no matter how great and awesome it might have been.

We don’t get to reside in our glory days.

We have to go.

We have more healing to do.

In fact, just after this they’re going heal a boy with a demon, giving him his life back.

More experience of the Divine, just in a different setting.

And not just that, but these disciples are marching toward the cross, and ultimately the empty tomb.

They can’t stay on the mountain

Not because the mountain is bad.

But because where they are going is so much better.

They don’t know where they’re going!

Now me, the planner, I would love a three point plan on this.

Get up! We’re going to do A) do some more healing, B) get in fights with the religious leaders C) and then do the whole cross and resurrection thing.

But they don’t get a plan.

Jesus doesn’t tell them what they’re doing.

Jesus doesn’t tell them where they’re going.

Jesus doesn’t offer a preview of coming attactions.

He just says, Don’t be afraid. But we have to go.

They’re being invited in to ruthless trust.

One of my favorite events we did in youth ministry was the “mystery trip.”

We would just tell the kids to show up and we’d take care of the rest.

They didn’t know where we were going, what we were doing, or what time we’d be home.

But it was a big secret, so we didn’t tell their parents any of this until they drop their student off.

We’d hand them a sealed envelope with our itinerary inside, and some contact numbers just in case they needed to get us.

What was odd was how many parents were totally ok signing their kids up for something like that without knowing what was going on.

It was an overwhelming amount of trust.

That’s what these disciples are being invited in to in this moment.

You don’t get an itinerary.

You don’t get a packing list.

You don’t get an agenda.

You are simply confronted with the question: Do you trust Jesus?

Our Own Mountains

We’ve had a lot of good times!

In a church that has been around for as long as Beulah, we have certainly had our fair share of mountain top experiences, haven’t we?

Alex told me last week about the cards that he asked you all to fill in, and I’m willing to bet that if even half of us made good on what we said we would to be salt and light in the world, you’ve had some experiences with Jesus!

Truth be told, one of my favorite things to do in this job is to sit down with folks and hear the stories of what Jesus is up to in your life.

Tell me about transfiguration moments!

Tell me about moments of glory!

Tell me about all the times that it’s been good!

Tell me about all the times that it’s been bad, but Jesus has shown up anyway.

And our history is vast, so I bet it wouldn’t take long to come up with some stories of how Jesus has been present in this place, doing a wonderful new thing.

We’ve built some tents!

Brass plaques

I went around the church on a very informal survey, to count how many brass plaques we have commemorating or memorializing some great moment in the life of the church.

My first count actually barely scratched the surface, all week this week as I’ve been walking around the building I’ve discovered new ones.

And so I don’t have an exact number for you, but I lost count at 70.

This isn’t to say that there’s anything inherently wrong with brass plaques.

Like Peter in the text, they are reminders that it was good for us to be here.

It was good to have that particular capital campaign.

It was good to have this garden!

It is good to remember our families in meaningful ways.

That’s all well and good!

But also like Peter, we can’t stay here, can we?

We can’t get stuck in the past.

No matter how good a moment we’re having, we can’t reside on the mountain top.

No matter what is happening, we need to listen to what Jesus is saying to us.

What is Jesus saying to us?

Don’t Be Afraid!

Just like Peter, James, and John, there is much to be afraid of all around us today, isn’t there?

Declining numbers.

Changing demographics.

Warped culture.

Spy balloons (something I never thought would make this list to be honest with you…)

And just like those disciples, I can hear Jesus whispering over each and every one of us: Don’t be afraid.

Don’t be afraid to have that conversation that you’ve been putting off to invite someone to church.

Don’t be afraid to try something new, to experiment in new ways in ministry.

Don’t be afraid to reach out to the community, to offer assistance that our church is uniquely qualified to give.

Don’t be afraid of the way culture around us might be changing.

Don’t be afraid to take that next most faithful step.

Don’t be afraid.

Let’s Engage in Ruthless Trust

It would be this point in the sermon where I would love nothing more than to give you a five point plan on what we’re doing next as a church.

Or even better yet, a five point plan for each of our lives!

I could be a best selling author for something like that!

And to be sure, we will have dreams and plans and visions coming down the pike.

But for today, is it enough to just say we’re going to trust Jesus?

Is it enough to say that we trust that Jesus has some big plans for our lives?

Is it enough to say that we trust that Jesus has a beautiful vision for our congregation?

Is it enough to say that we don’t need to be in control, so long as we let Jesus take his place as King?

Would that be enough for us?

I hope it is.

Let’s Go!

After today, we’re diving deep into the season of Lent.

A season of discipline, prayer, fasting, and reflection.

But more than any of that, I think it ought to be a season of action.

It ought to be a season of us stepping down from the mountain, and gathering around the table.

It ought to be a season of us inviting others to be at the table, even some of those we never would have thought to invite here before

It ought to be a season where we find our own metamorphosis, our own healing at the table of the Lord.

It ought to be a season where we allow the table to nourish us, and prepare us for the action ahead.

Get up, and do not be afraid my friends.

Christ comes with us in the work.