The Transfiguration

The Sunday after the ordination of a new priest they are told to preach at the main service. On my first Sunday, the pulpit was next to a stained glass window of the Transfiguration, and guess what the Gospel reading was? … yes, the Transfiguration. 

I remember my clergy boss saying, "I can’t wait to hear you make sense of the Transfiguration!" I don’t remember if my sermon satisfied him or anyone else, but I do know the Transfiguration has always been special to me. It is the turning point in Jesus’ ministry that leads him from radiating the light to having his light extinguished on the cross. Unless we listen hard to his message, we will miss it, as Peter almost did. 

Mountaintop experiences in Holy Scripture always describe an encounter between humans and the Divine. Today’s Exodus story describes one of Moses’ such encounters. Elijah, the most famous prophet of all time, also encountered the Divine. When it was Jesus’ turn, he knew he needed to bring with him his core disciples – Peter, John and James. They needed to witness this phenomenon so they could be reassured of who Jesus was by authorities who were well known to them through Scripture. This event occurred right before their trip into Jerusalem, the very place Jesus had already predicted he would die. This was his effort to assure his team that the cross would not be the end of his journey. 

As Jesus was praying, his appearance changed, and his clothes became dazzling white as an outward manifestation of his divinity. As further confirmation, Moses (the Lawgiver) and Elijah (the ultimate prophet) appeared and talked with Jesus about his coming death. They did not assure him of a “free pass” from suffering just because of his identity, but that his suffering was right on course with Divine will and, in due time, would be transformed by God for God’s glory, and the good of all who would believe thereafter.

Peter almost missed the point in his hurry to build monuments - as if the power of the three could be so contained. To get Peter’s attention a cloud came over and a voice gave the take-away message: “This is my Son, my chosen; listen to him!” 

How easily we, like Peter, substitute activities to distract ourselves from big truths that we do not like or understand. Perhaps the hardest truth to accept is that death is inevitable, and, even if life as we know it is over, death is not the end of life.    

With God, all deaths – physical, emotional, economic, relational, and spiritual – can take new shape in the light of Christ. The only catch is that we need to agree to do our part. Our part is to let ourselves be vulnerable to the Holy Spirit guiding us, and be willing to take the next steps.

Transfiguration means changing an appearance from something ordinary to something extraordinarily more radiant. We do not need to be in a mountaintop encounter with the Divine to experience transfiguration. Picture a time when you have witnessed someone go from shoulders hunched under the weight of despair to a more upright countenance, radiating the light of hope. Maybe you were that person. Maybe you were the reason that person was transfigured from death to life in some way. 

I'll close with this prayer by H. King Oehmig:

“Lord Jesus, the Light of the World, who revealed your glistening radiance to chosen witnesses on the holy mountain, so anoint us in the grace of your Holy Spirit, that we may know your eternal majesty as the Beloved One, who has come from the Father to transfigure all things in Divine Love.“                                                                                                  

Amen.