Bethel 3.2.25

From Mountain to Valley, God’s Love Abounds

Almost four years ago, I got a hair brained idea. Anyone ever hike a 14er before? I had reached out to my coworkers at the time, and they had a little bit more sense than I did apparently, because it turned out to be a solo trip. My first 14er, and my second hair brained idea was to go ahead and do it alone. What was I thinking? Well, I was thinking that God’s love abounds from mountain to valley, and that I was going to be just fine.

So, I got up at 4:30 in the morning, loaded my 10 year old chiweenie, and drove two hours to the trailhead. Don’t worry, Lucy stayed and protected the car. During my trip, I happened to take a wrong turn and ended up at the Iowa Gulch route instead of on the other side of the mountain - the Four Mile Creek route. Don’t get me wrong, both are challenging routes to summit Mount Sherman, but once I got to the top and looked over, I saw this beautiful trail that hiked back and forth all the way to the summit. I remember turning around and looking at the path I had just traversed, and well, there were not as many switch backs, in fact, the elevation gain and the amount of boulders I had just climbed over was significantly more.

But, thankfully, I was right about God’s love abounding, and I was just grateful to reach the top. It was early August of 2021, and the wildfires were rampant, so there was some smoke obstructing the view, but what it lent was this beautiful warm glow of sunshine and a hazy picturesque scene that went on for miles.

It was beautiful at 14,036 feet. I remember being overwhelmed with God’s beauty - with God’s magnitude, as I sat and ate peanut mnms and read from the book of Isaiah. And if there hadn’t been approaching thunderstorms that afternoon, I could’ve stayed up there for hours, encountering God on that mountaintop.

But, I looked back to where I had come and I saw the little speck that was my car, where Lucy was waiting for me. And so I started the hike down.

Even if you haven’t hiked a 14er, I’m sure you can relate. We work so hard for something, and summit that obstacle, and we encounter God’s love and blessing. And I know we’ve all been tempted to stay there, to revel in God’s glory, and each time, we’re gently reminded, gently nudged, to go back down the mountain because God’s love abounds in the valley, too, and there’s work to be done.

We see this beautifully portrayed in our scripture this morning. Happy Transfiguration Sunday! It’s the story of Jesus, right after foretelling his death and resurrection, summiting a mountain, encountering God, and then turning around and going right back into the crowd and healing people as He moves towards Jerusalem. Let’s dive in.

28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. 31 They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 

I love Transfiguration Sunday - in fact, my very first sermon I gave in 2018 was on the Transfiguration, so there’s a soft spot in my heart for it. But what is the Transfiguration and why is it important? 

The Transfiguration is one of the most quintessential mountaintop experiences in scripture: it’s a glimpse of divine glory, a word from God, and an experience that changes all who are present. It’s recounted in all three Synoptic Gospels - Matthew, Mark, and Luke, as well as in 2 Peter. It’s one of the most well-attested events in Jesus’ life. And in each gospel, it always appears after Jesus’ first passion prediction, as the focus of his ministry shifts towards Jerusalem.

The Transfiguration is a turning point for Jesus - it strengthens His heart for what is to come.

But we might have some questions about our scripture this morning: like why just Peter, John, and James? If we turn back a few chapters, we see that Peter, John, and James were the first disciples to be called by Jesus, and they’re the three that are witnesses to lots of significant events in the ministry of Christ. They were the sole witnesses of the resurrection of Jairus’ (J-eye-Russ) daughter, the Transfiguration, and the agony in the garden before Christ is betrayed.

And notice that Jesus took them up there to pray: all throughout scripture, we see that prayer sets the stage for major events, decisions, ministry moments, and revelation. So whenever we read about prayer, it’s time to lean in and listen in. Something big is about to happen.

And ya, something big DOES happen: Jesus’ face changes, and his clothes become as bright as a flash of lightening. What does that bring to mind? Remember back in Exodus 34, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant - our commandments from God - Moses’ face shone because he had been talking with God.

And speaking of Moses, he and the prophet Elijah appear in glorious splendor and talk with Jesus. Why those two? Moses and Elijah are two of the most famous leaders from Israel’s history. They both saw God’s glory, they both had revelatory mountaintop experiences, and they both came to the end of their lives at God’s bidding. And most importantly for this mountaintop experience, Moses and Elijah represent the law - Moses - and the prophets - Elijah, which at this current time formed the two cornerstones of Israel’s scripture.

And all three - Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, spoke about Jesus’ departure. The word ‘departure’ is the same language that is used as the departure in Exodus. Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension is part of the New Exodus within the larger part of God’s abounding love. Moses had led the Exodus from Egypt, and now Jesus will accomplish the exodus of God’s people into the promised land on high.

This is huge! And how will the disciples react?

32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)

34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.

Ok, to be fair, we don’t know why the disciples were very sleepy - probably because they just summited a mountain. But the drowsiness doesn’t last long when they witness Jesus’ Transfiguration. And Peter, God love him, wanted to build three shelters to set this experience in stone. And we shouldn’t discredit Peter’s idea because in biblical tradition, Peter’s offer to build dwellings or tents recalls the Festival of Booths or Tents. His motive here may be reverence for the occasion’s sacredness, hospitality to guests, or simply a desire to prolong the experience. It IS fitting because the Festival of Booths commemorates the Exodus from Egypt.

But God’s voice in the next verse implies that Peter’s offer is unnecessary. At this critical juncture of Jesus’ ministry - he’s about to head to Jerusalem - this word of affirmation, This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him - this word of affirmation is beneficial to all those present. Just as Jesus’ baptism precedes and empowers the first phase of His earthly ministry, His Transfiguration precedes and empowers the second half.

Which begins now:

37 The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. 38 A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. 40 I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.”

41 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”

42 Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the impure spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father. 43 And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.

Now, this is the harshest way Jesus speaks to people, so we can speculate that the Transfiguration must have been a huge event for even Jesus, and rightly so. Even just hiking a 14er, after I had gotten back down to my car, I would not have probably reacted with much grace if I had been greeted by a huge crowd wanting help. I would’ve been like: uh no, my feet hurt, I have a dehydration headache, and I’m hungry.

But God’s love abounds even in the valley, and Jesus heals the boy. 

Jesus did not stay up on the mountaintop, no, he came back down and encountered sinners like you and me. The call of ministry leads us not to stay on the summit, as Peter may have desired, but to return to the valley, where the hard work of healing happens. After all, Jesus’ ministry is not transformative and redemptive because of what he did on the mountain, but what he did in the valleys, wilderness, and on the cross.

My friends, Transfiguration Sunday comes before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent, which is this week. And for good reason: it’s a good reminder that God’s love abounds on both the mountaintop and in the valley, and as the Transfiguration pointed Christ to Jerusalem and his crucifixion, death, and resurrection, so it should also point us to how important the Cross is to our faith, to how important it is to continue our work and ministry even when times get hard. After God speaks to us on the physical or spiritual mountain, in our prayers, let us continue Jesus’ work and encounter God’s abounding love.

Please pray with me:

Dear Lord, find us, come to us, speak to us, that we might listen to the words of Christ and carry out your work in both the valley and on the mountaintop. Amen.

Benediction: May we go forth into the world with hope and boldness, and may we remind everyone of God’s abounding love on the mountaintop and in the valley. Amen.