"Listen to Him"

“In Raphael’s famous painting the Transfiguration the artist has portrayed two scenes on a single canvas. In the upper part the Savior shines in a blaze of supernatural light. Moses and Elijah are doing homage to Him, and the favored three lie prostrate at His feet. In the lower zone, earthbound souls are seeking salvation and yearning with deep emotion for the healing of the stricken child.”—H. St. John

(Mark 9:2-8, 14-27)

What comes to mind when you think about the word transfiguration? For many of us we do not think about that word very often. Most of us I would dare say, do not think about that word until we find ourselves in Church on Transfiguration Sunday. And yet, the story of the Transfiguration of Christ is so incredibly powerful and awesome that the picture of the happenings of that day leave us quite speechless. Close your eyes for a few moments and imagine that you are in the shoes of the disciples who were with Jesus that day. What do see, what do you hear, how do you feel? For me, I’ve always thought about the Transfiguration as Jesus being changed before their eyes, his entire body being enveloped in a bright blinding light. It was indeed an incredible, life-changing experience for those who were present. The definition of transfiguration is “a complete transformation into a more beautiful or spiritual state.” (Oxford English Dictionary) So the word transformation is a key part of the meaning of transfiguration. Artists own through the ages have always painted pieces to portray the meaning of key stories in the Scriptures. God uses many means to help us understand more clearly what God is speaking to us through scripture. God’s Spirit works in amazing ways through people, in the case of artists, through their God given talents of painting. (Add opening illustration) This painting portrays what happens not only through the Transfiguration of Christ but what happens immediately following. When Jesus and his disciples come down from the mountain after the Transfiguration experience, there is a crowd, a parent who is especially distraught over the condition of his young son. The symptoms the son is exhibiting are much like what we would see in the people with epilepsy today. The scriptures describe it as being a spirit that makes him unable to speak. Back then they would not have known what epilepsy was. The man just knew that his son had been tortured with this condition all of his life and he was desperate to find healing for his son. So what is going on here? Let us take a deeper look at the Transfiguration of Christ to get a better picture of how the story of the this young boy intertwines with the transfiguration of Christ. There is a great deal that is significant taking place.

The Transfiguration of Christ is still difficult for us to wrap our minds around. And we might be asking ourselves today why does God allow this story to be a part of scripture? What is the significance of what is taking place? What does it say to us today? And how does it apply to our lives and faith journeys? First of all, we are told that six day later. Six days after Jesus foretells his death and resurrection Jesus took Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. This was very intentional on Jesus’ part. These happenings were not just happenstance. They were intentional. You see Peter, and I am sure the other disciples who were with Jesus when he foretold his coming great suffering and rejection and death and resurrection just could not accept that their master and friend would have to endure these things. It is just that Peter was the one who was bold enough to let his feelings be known. So Jesus took Peter and two others up on the mountain. And he was transfigured right before their eyes. What a wondrous and unbelievably beautiful sight it must have been!!! Jesus’ clothes are described as being dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. It was as if light were shining through his clothing. To dazzle means “brightness that confuses someone’s vision temporarily.” (Oxford English Dictionary) The closest thing I can think of is when it snows and you go outside to enjoy the snow and sun comes out and the sun is reflecting off of the snow in a way that you are unable to see clearly for a few moments until your eyes adjust. Have any of you ever experienced such a thing? Also, to make matters even more confusing, two men who had been long dead were having a conversation with Jesus, Elijah and Moses. It must have been quite a sight to behold. The experience was so intense that the disciples were in a confused state of mind. So much so that Peter even said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Peter did not know what to say or how to respond for all three of the disciples were terrified at what was taking place. They were experiencing extreme fear and rightly so. Any of us would feel that way had we been present that day. Peter did not have time to say anything else or even to think for what happened next was that a cloud overshadowed them and from the cloud came a voice. Remember what a cloud was indicative of in the Old Testament, God’s presence. God led Israel through a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. So a cloud indicates the presence of God. So they heard the voice of God coming from the cloud with a message for them, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” Wow! Things like the Transfiguration of Christ, the Shining of Moses face in the Old Testament when he had been in the presence of God listening to God, the chariot of fire and horses that took Elijah up to heaven in our OT lesson for today are known as what we humans call theophanies. Theophanies are a visible manifestation to humankind of God. This is just what those disciples experienced that day when Jesus was Transfigured before them. The most important part of all of this is that God basically reveals to them that Jesus is his Son, the Messiah, the Savior of humanity, the one whom they had longed for and they are to listen to him. It was absolutely life changing. And then in the blink of an eye. The scriptures tell us suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus. Talk about being let down hard. They were on a spiritual high one minute and then all of a sudden everything seemed to go back to normal and yet they could not have been the same again. As they were traveling back down the mountain Jesus ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until he had risen from the dead. You see through Jesus Transfiguration, they had gotten a glimpse of the glory and majesty of the Resurrected Christ. Through the death on the cross and resurrection of Jesus, all sin and death would be defeated for all eternity. All people would have the opportunity to become a forgiven and reconciled people. All people would know the love of God through Christ in a way that would completely change lives, bring new life forevermore. In the case of the story of the young boy who had symptoms much like what we would see in a person with epilepsy today, the scriptures describe what happens when they bring the young boy to Jesus as “When the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell to the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth.” The scriptures let us know that their is something more going on here than simply epilepsy. The spirit is also spoken of as an unclean spirit. So, this young boy needed not only physical and mental healing but spiritual healing as well. I think this story is related to the Transfiguration in that it makes abundantly clear that in Christ all things are possible, more so than we will ever be able to fully understand. These healing stories point us to the new life that has come and is coming will be brought to completion through Christ. Through his life, death, resurrection and Second Coming. So there is always hope. Jesus took his disciples up on that mountain that day to give them a huge glimpse of what the meaning of his life, death on the cross and resurrection were going to mean for all of humanity. I am not sure they fully understood even then, but they would indeed have this glimpse of God’s glory and majesty in the Transfigured Jesus to remind them later when they witnessed his Resurrected body and his ascension that he is indeed the One in whom God is and will continue to bring new life, transformed lives to all who would believe. And to give his disciples hope and that no matter how difficult the journey of discipleship would be and become at times, that God in Christ has already done everything necessary to bring salvation to humanity. All they are called to do is just what Jesus commissioned them to do before his ascension to be with the Father after his resurrection. Matthew 28 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” This is very similar to what the voice of the Lord told Jesus disciples from the cloud as Jesus was Transfigured before them, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him.” In other words obey him. Do what he tells you. The disciples were given the wonderful promise that Jesus would be with to the end of the age. All they have to do is listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit and be faithful and obedient to Christ in order to live as faithful disciples of Christ and to grow the Kingdom of God on this earth. By the strength and wisdom and guidance and grace of our Lord, make we be faithful to listen to God that we may be faithful and obedient disciples of Jesus. This week let us pay special attention to listening to God as have our times of devotion and in doing so be able to live even more faithfully as we seek to grow God’s Kingdom on this earth. This is the work our Lord has commissioned us to be about. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.