"Experiencing A Transfiguration!"
A sermon preached on Transfiguration Sunday, February 3, 2008, at Edgemont Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) by the Rev. Christopher E. Yopp. The sermon is based on Exodus 24:12-18 and Matthew 17:1-9.
Today, the church celebrates the Transfiguration of Christ. Sadly, there are many in the Western Church who neglect this significant event in the life of Christ's ministry. The more one examines the Transfiguration of Christ, the more its mystery is revealed and one begins to see how this event points to who Jesus was and is.
One of my favorite parables is the one that is told of the six blind men and the elephant. Each blind man happened to grab a different part of the elephant’s body, so each had a different idea or perspective of what the elephant was like. The man who grabbed the leg described the elephant as a tree. Another, discovered the trunk and explained that the elephant was more like a big snake. The third blind man grabbed the tail and insisted that the elephant was like a thin and flexible rope, and so on and so on. The point of this parable is that all the men were right; yet, because they were blind, none of them grasped the full picture of the elephant. Certainly, one could apply this parable to our Gospel Lesson this morning, which tells of the mystery of the transfiguration of Christ. In a sense, we find ourselves, like the blind men, trying to comprehend the mystery of Christ’s Transfiguration. But it is not until we open our eyes of faith that we begin to see the significance of this event in the life of Christ.
We are told through the gospels that a week after Peter’s confession of faith, where Peter proclaimed; "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God," Jesus took Peter, James and John up the mountain to witness his transfiguration. The gospels do not tell us what mountain in Galilee was the site of this event in Christ’s life. However, tradition holds that it took place on Mount Tabor, but many scholars will agree that it was probably Mount Hermon, which is by far the highest peak in all of Palestine, almost 10,000 feet high. And this would make sense, since Caesarea Philippi, which was the place where Peter made his confession of faith, was near the southern slope of Mount Hermon.
I think it is interesting how Matthew relates this story to Moses’ experience on Mount Sinai. Keep in mind, Matthew was writing mainly to a Jewish audience and wanted to show how Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies pertaining to God’s Messiah. Matthew presents Jesus as a type or a new Moses, if you will. You see, just as Moses had led the people of Israel out of Egypt - out of bondage, to the Promised Land; so Jesus, the new and greater Moses would, by his passion lead the new Israel - the Church to the kingdom of God.
We can only imagine what an experience this must have been for those three disciples, as Jesus was literally transfigured on that mountain right in front of them, and appearing with him were Moses and Elijah. Now certainly, Peter, James and John would have known the significance of these two Old Testament figures. They would have known how important they were, as well as the significance of their being there with Jesus. In fact, one can’t help but mention the fact that both of these men - Moses and Elijah had mountaintop experiences of their own. In fact, we read of one of Moses’ theophany’s in Exodus chapter 24. But what was the significance of their being there with Jesus on the mountaintop that day? Keep in mind, these men confirmed who Jesus was and what he had come to do. They verified that Jesus had come to fulfill the law and the prophets. Moses and Elijah were not only two of the greatest figures, patriarches of the Old Testament, whom God revealed God’s self too, but they also represent the Old Testament - Moses, the law; and Elijah, the prophets. And it was vital for Matthew to make this connection for his readers; for Christ - God’s Messiah, came to fulfill both the law and the prophets. That was the goal and purpose, as Matthew stresses, of Jesus’ ministry.
But these two men, interestingly enough, also represent, in some respects, the living and the dead. You may recall that Moses died and his burial place is known. While Elijah, we are told, was taken up to heaven. In the Book of Revelation, is it Jesus who is pictured as the Lord of the living and the dead. And, these two figures, constitute that wonderful truth.
I think we have all had, at some point in time, trouble hearing. Perhaps you were in a crowded room and with all of the noise and commotion going on around you, you found it difficult to hear what someone was saying; or perhaps distance played a factor; or maybe the person you were communicating with was soft spoken. You may remember that was the dilemma Jerry faced in one episode of Seinfield. He had unknowingly agreed to wear a shirt that a soft spoken woman who had become an acquittance of his through one of his friends, had made. She was attempting to market these shirts and so she asked him to wear it in an interview he was to have with Jay Leno. As a result he had to wear this ridiculous looking shirt or, perhaps I should say, blouse on national T.V., all because he had agreed to a request from a woman who he couldn't hear.
There are some who might argue, well, there are hearing devices one can use to help with this problem. One of my favorite stories is told of the minister who had a 99 year old parishioner in his church who suffered with hearing problems. After informing her that she should get some hearing aids, she responded; "At 99 years of age, I heard enough."
I don’t think there’s anything more upsetting or discouraging than not being able to hear. But then again, sometimes, we suffer from what is called "selective hearing" - we only hear what we want too. I know a few people who suffer from this. Bobby Cromer was teaching one day and this little boy in her classroom was being disruptive, and wasn’t listening to anything Bobby was telling him to do. And so finally, in frustration she said; "Are you having trouble hearing?" The little boy responded by saying; "No, but I am having trouble listening!" Sometimes we have trouble listening, especially when it comes to listening to God. As with all our senses, the greatest danger for Christians is losing those spiritual senses when it comes to our relationship with God.
I believe that people would hear God’s voice more often and clearly if they spent more time listening. After all, we are reminded of this in our Old Testament reading of Moses’ encounter with God on Mount Sinai. God instructs Moses; "Come up to me on the mountain and wait there." And waiting is what Moses did - six days to be exact. Waiting and listening are probably two characteristics that we have the most difficulty with.
But Moses waited! And in Moses’ waiting, God speaks to Moses and what a revelation Moses received! What an experience Moses had! What a theophany - as Moses encountered and experienced the living God. And, as a result, this experience transfigured Moses, to the point that his face shone with an afterglow. In fact, we are told that when he returned to the people to dispel their fear, he had to hide or shield his face from them, by putting a veil over his face to hide the glory that resulted from this communion - this theophany.
But Paul reminds us, in II Corinthians chapter 3, that as believers we have an even closer relationship and communion with the Holy - with God, than Moses did. For we are the very dwelling place or tabernacle of God’s living presence - God’s Spirit. Thus Paul challenges us to remove the veil from our faces, so that others may see the glory of God shining through us. We are not to hide it, as Moses did, but we are called to reveal it.
Certainly, the Christian life and faith can be described as a "transfiguration" or, better yet, a "metamorphosis," which is to say, a change from the inside out. Through God’s Spirit, the veil upon our hearts and lives is removed and the mystery of God - God’s love through Christ, is revealed to us and made known. We are not only like the blind men in the parable, only able to touch a piece of the mystery of God’s love and grace, but as we have been reminded through Epiphany, we can now experience the mystery of God’s love and grace fully, through Christ. And, as a result, a transformation takes place in our lives.
I can’t think of any more fitting day to celebrate the sacrament of baptism then on this Transfiguration Sunday. You see, you and I are transfigured into the image and likeness of Christ through baptism, so that, as Paul reminds us, we might become the windows of God’s love to the world. Such transfiguration is not the result of a sudden change of heart or spirit. It is not something we gain. Rather, it is something that we are given.
My friends, we stand at the threshold of the season of Lent. On Ash Wednesday, we will begin our 40-day journey through the wilderness of Lent. We will journey with Christ to the Cross, in preparation for the celebration of Easter. Through Lent, we are asked to embrace the cross, to die to self and rise anew with Christ. We have the opportunity, through this season, to climb the mountain with Christ and experience a transfiguration or, more appropriately, a transformation. Let us climb the mountain with Moses; with Peter, James and John and experience and encounter the living God. What mountaintops you ask? The mountaintops of prayer and Bible study; the mountaintops of worship and communion. But in going up to the mountaintop, I think it is important to note, that we are not meant to bask in the glory of God. Sure, we are to experience it, but then, we are called to come down from the mountain and reflect and reveal God’s glory and presence to others. And so, may this be true of our lives. Amen.
One of my favorite parables is the one that is told of the six blind men and the elephant. Each blind man happened to grab a different part of the elephant’s body, so each had a different idea or perspective of what the elephant was like. The man who grabbed the leg described the elephant as a tree. Another, discovered the trunk and explained that the elephant was more like a big snake. The third blind man grabbed the tail and insisted that the elephant was like a thin and flexible rope, and so on and so on. The point of this parable is that all the men were right; yet, because they were blind, none of them grasped the full picture of the elephant. Certainly, one could apply this parable to our Gospel Lesson this morning, which tells of the mystery of the transfiguration of Christ. In a sense, we find ourselves, like the blind men, trying to comprehend the mystery of Christ’s Transfiguration. But it is not until we open our eyes of faith that we begin to see the significance of this event in the life of Christ.
We are told through the gospels that a week after Peter’s confession of faith, where Peter proclaimed; "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God," Jesus took Peter, James and John up the mountain to witness his transfiguration. The gospels do not tell us what mountain in Galilee was the site of this event in Christ’s life. However, tradition holds that it took place on Mount Tabor, but many scholars will agree that it was probably Mount Hermon, which is by far the highest peak in all of Palestine, almost 10,000 feet high. And this would make sense, since Caesarea Philippi, which was the place where Peter made his confession of faith, was near the southern slope of Mount Hermon.
I think it is interesting how Matthew relates this story to Moses’ experience on Mount Sinai. Keep in mind, Matthew was writing mainly to a Jewish audience and wanted to show how Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies pertaining to God’s Messiah. Matthew presents Jesus as a type or a new Moses, if you will. You see, just as Moses had led the people of Israel out of Egypt - out of bondage, to the Promised Land; so Jesus, the new and greater Moses would, by his passion lead the new Israel - the Church to the kingdom of God.
We can only imagine what an experience this must have been for those three disciples, as Jesus was literally transfigured on that mountain right in front of them, and appearing with him were Moses and Elijah. Now certainly, Peter, James and John would have known the significance of these two Old Testament figures. They would have known how important they were, as well as the significance of their being there with Jesus. In fact, one can’t help but mention the fact that both of these men - Moses and Elijah had mountaintop experiences of their own. In fact, we read of one of Moses’ theophany’s in Exodus chapter 24. But what was the significance of their being there with Jesus on the mountaintop that day? Keep in mind, these men confirmed who Jesus was and what he had come to do. They verified that Jesus had come to fulfill the law and the prophets. Moses and Elijah were not only two of the greatest figures, patriarches of the Old Testament, whom God revealed God’s self too, but they also represent the Old Testament - Moses, the law; and Elijah, the prophets. And it was vital for Matthew to make this connection for his readers; for Christ - God’s Messiah, came to fulfill both the law and the prophets. That was the goal and purpose, as Matthew stresses, of Jesus’ ministry.
But these two men, interestingly enough, also represent, in some respects, the living and the dead. You may recall that Moses died and his burial place is known. While Elijah, we are told, was taken up to heaven. In the Book of Revelation, is it Jesus who is pictured as the Lord of the living and the dead. And, these two figures, constitute that wonderful truth.
I think we have all had, at some point in time, trouble hearing. Perhaps you were in a crowded room and with all of the noise and commotion going on around you, you found it difficult to hear what someone was saying; or perhaps distance played a factor; or maybe the person you were communicating with was soft spoken. You may remember that was the dilemma Jerry faced in one episode of Seinfield. He had unknowingly agreed to wear a shirt that a soft spoken woman who had become an acquittance of his through one of his friends, had made. She was attempting to market these shirts and so she asked him to wear it in an interview he was to have with Jay Leno. As a result he had to wear this ridiculous looking shirt or, perhaps I should say, blouse on national T.V., all because he had agreed to a request from a woman who he couldn't hear.
There are some who might argue, well, there are hearing devices one can use to help with this problem. One of my favorite stories is told of the minister who had a 99 year old parishioner in his church who suffered with hearing problems. After informing her that she should get some hearing aids, she responded; "At 99 years of age, I heard enough."
I don’t think there’s anything more upsetting or discouraging than not being able to hear. But then again, sometimes, we suffer from what is called "selective hearing" - we only hear what we want too. I know a few people who suffer from this. Bobby Cromer was teaching one day and this little boy in her classroom was being disruptive, and wasn’t listening to anything Bobby was telling him to do. And so finally, in frustration she said; "Are you having trouble hearing?" The little boy responded by saying; "No, but I am having trouble listening!" Sometimes we have trouble listening, especially when it comes to listening to God. As with all our senses, the greatest danger for Christians is losing those spiritual senses when it comes to our relationship with God.
I believe that people would hear God’s voice more often and clearly if they spent more time listening. After all, we are reminded of this in our Old Testament reading of Moses’ encounter with God on Mount Sinai. God instructs Moses; "Come up to me on the mountain and wait there." And waiting is what Moses did - six days to be exact. Waiting and listening are probably two characteristics that we have the most difficulty with.
But Moses waited! And in Moses’ waiting, God speaks to Moses and what a revelation Moses received! What an experience Moses had! What a theophany - as Moses encountered and experienced the living God. And, as a result, this experience transfigured Moses, to the point that his face shone with an afterglow. In fact, we are told that when he returned to the people to dispel their fear, he had to hide or shield his face from them, by putting a veil over his face to hide the glory that resulted from this communion - this theophany.
But Paul reminds us, in II Corinthians chapter 3, that as believers we have an even closer relationship and communion with the Holy - with God, than Moses did. For we are the very dwelling place or tabernacle of God’s living presence - God’s Spirit. Thus Paul challenges us to remove the veil from our faces, so that others may see the glory of God shining through us. We are not to hide it, as Moses did, but we are called to reveal it.
Certainly, the Christian life and faith can be described as a "transfiguration" or, better yet, a "metamorphosis," which is to say, a change from the inside out. Through God’s Spirit, the veil upon our hearts and lives is removed and the mystery of God - God’s love through Christ, is revealed to us and made known. We are not only like the blind men in the parable, only able to touch a piece of the mystery of God’s love and grace, but as we have been reminded through Epiphany, we can now experience the mystery of God’s love and grace fully, through Christ. And, as a result, a transformation takes place in our lives.
I can’t think of any more fitting day to celebrate the sacrament of baptism then on this Transfiguration Sunday. You see, you and I are transfigured into the image and likeness of Christ through baptism, so that, as Paul reminds us, we might become the windows of God’s love to the world. Such transfiguration is not the result of a sudden change of heart or spirit. It is not something we gain. Rather, it is something that we are given.
My friends, we stand at the threshold of the season of Lent. On Ash Wednesday, we will begin our 40-day journey through the wilderness of Lent. We will journey with Christ to the Cross, in preparation for the celebration of Easter. Through Lent, we are asked to embrace the cross, to die to self and rise anew with Christ. We have the opportunity, through this season, to climb the mountain with Christ and experience a transfiguration or, more appropriately, a transformation. Let us climb the mountain with Moses; with Peter, James and John and experience and encounter the living God. What mountaintops you ask? The mountaintops of prayer and Bible study; the mountaintops of worship and communion. But in going up to the mountaintop, I think it is important to note, that we are not meant to bask in the glory of God. Sure, we are to experience it, but then, we are called to come down from the mountain and reflect and reveal God’s glory and presence to others. And so, may this be true of our lives. Amen.
posted by Pastor Christopher @ 11:46 PM
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