Exodus
24: 12–18 / Psalm 2 / II Peter 1: 16–21 / Matthew 17: 1–9
This
is the homily given at St. John’s, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, by Fr. Gene Tucker
on Sunday, February 23, 2020.
“ROLLER-COASTER RIDE”(Homily texts: II Peter 1: 16–21 & Matthew 17: 1–9)
Each
year on the Last Sunday after the Epiphany, we are treated to the hearing (and
consideration) of the account of our Lord Jesus’ miraculous transfiguration[1] on a
mountain.[2] This
event is recorded by the three Synoptic Gospel authors, Matthew, Mark and Luke.
Three
of the Lord’s disciples, Peter, James and John, are treated to a glimpse of the
Lord’s identity as He reflects the unique glory of God. The Lord’s appearance
is changed, His face shining like the sun, and His clothes becoming dazzlingly
bright
As
if this glimpse of God’s glory (the Hebrew word which describes this unique,
divine glory is Shekinah) isn’t
enough, these three disciples are also given a vision of Moses and Elijah,
appearing alongside the Lord. Moses is the giver of the Law, while Elijah is
among the greatest of the Old Testament prophets, and the one – according to
first-century Judaism’s understanding of Malachi 4: 5-6 – who would herald
the coming of the promised Messiah.[3]
For
the three chosen witnesses, the disclosure of the Lord’s identity was a
mountaintop experience. Notice how Peter, writing many years later, describes
his memories of the event in our Epistle reading for this morning.
But
as much as Peter (and perhaps the other two disciples) wanted to preserve the
moment (by erecting three booths or tents) and to stay on the mountaintop with
the Lord, that would not be the reality of the future which lay before them. They
would go down from the mountaintop, on their way to Jerusalem, to Holy Week and
the events of Good Friday, and to the mountaintop experience of Easter Sunday
morning.
It’s
tempting to want to stay on the mountaintop. We, each of us, harbors such a
desire within our hearts, I suspect.
But
if we back up in Matthew’s text a bit, we see that there were already highs and
lows taking place, often in short succession to one another. For example, in
chapter sixteen of Matthew’s account, notice that it is Peter who affirms
Jesus’ identity as the Messiah, God’s Anointed One. Jesus affirms Peter’s
confession, saying that Peter didn’t come to that knowledge by normal human
ability, but only because the Father had revealed this to him. Peter’s
confession is a high point, to be sure. But then, Jesus apparently decided that
now that His disciples knew who he really was, they were ready to hear about
the next chapter of God’s plan for His Messiah: The plan that involved pain,
suffering and death. Peter reacts, saying, “Forbid it Lord, this shall never
happen to you.” We all know the Lord’s
response: “Get behind me, Satan….” Here we have a low point, taking place
shortly after the high point of Peter’s confession.
We
shouldn’t been too hard on this original band of disciples. After all, God was
doing something different, something new, something spectacular in sending
Jesus, the Christ, to come among us as one of us. No wonder they didn’t seem to
“get it” every now and again. No wonder they all ran away when Jesus was betrayed.
No wonder they didn’t believe Mary Magdalene’s report that the Lord had risen
from the dead on Easter Sunday morning. All of this was new and different. I
suspect that each of us, if we found ourselves in the place where those
original disciples were, would react in pretty much the same way. I know I
would have, most likely. (I can’t resist adding that we – you and I – have an
advantage those original disciples didn’t have: We have the advantage of
something scholars call “The Reader’s Perspective”. This perspective allows us
to see the whole story.)
Because
all of this was so new and different, it’s understandable that the disciples
weren’t able to use the high points of Jesus’ time and ministry to carry them
through the low spots, the tough times they were to experience. In retrospect,
they do come to understand what it was that God was doing. In retrospect, they
come to value and use the high points, and especially the Lord’s resurrection,
to carry them through the challenges and dangers that would await them as they
went out into the world, carrying the Good News (Gospel) of what God had done
in the work, life, death and raising of Jesus Christ.
Wouldn’t
each of us want to live our lives on the mountaintop, all the time? I know the
idea sounds pretty good to me. Perhaps it does to you, too. But the reality and
the truth is that life simply isn’t that way. Not especially when we realize
that we are living in a sinful and broken world, a world which stands in
rebellion to God’s way. As followers (disciples) of Jesus, we are called to
live in a way that’s markedly different from the ways of the world. If we are
faithful to that calling, we’re going to have difficulty and challenges. Those
difficulties and challenges may well represent some pretty low spots in our
life’s journey.
But
in the midst of trials, tribulations and problems, it’s critical to hold in
mind some high point that God has granted us in the past. Those memories and the
enduring reality of them (a reality we hold in our hearts, not just our minds)
can reassure us that God is present in the high spots and in the low spots,
enabling us to see the “stuff” that comes our way through with faithfulness.
AMEN.
[1] We also celebrate the Transfiguration event
on a holy day reserved for this purpose, August 6th.
[2] The traditional site where this event took
place is Mount Tabor, which has become a significant place for pilgrims to
visit in the Holy Land. Mount Tabor is located a short distance southwest of
the Sea of Galilee. But it’s possible that this event may have taken place on
Mount Hermon, which is located further north, in modern-day Lebanon. Mount
Hermon is close to the city of Caesarea Philippi, which, Matthew tells us, was
where Jesus and His disciples were returning from when Peter made his
confession about the Lord’s identity.
[3] Apparently, first-century Judaism believed
that Moses never died. Elijah was swept up into heaven without seeing death,
according to II Kings 2: 1 – 12b.
