Making Our Way in a
Transfigured World
Exodus 34:29-35
Psalm 99
I Corinthians 12:27-13:13
Luke 9:28-36
Tim
Christoffersen
St. Anselm’s
February 25,
2001
Good
morning. It is special for me to be back here at St. Anselm’s this morning.
Thank you.
The story of the Transfiguration of Jesus is really difficult for us to talk
about. It does not fit our categories and it does not fit our perception of
reality. From the reading it seems pretty clear that it was also not a comfortable
encounter for Peter, James and John.
Moses and Elijah are there with Jesus on the mountain. They both have been
long gone at this point in time. Moses was buried before the Israelites entered
the Promised Land under Joshua. Elijah was taken up into heaven in a worldwind
after a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated him from
Elisha, his successor.
This does not fit our perception of reality.
In the transfiguration story in Mark and Matthew, the disciples ask Jesus,
after Moses and Elijah disappear, why the teachers of the law say Elijah must
come first. Our first thought is that Elijah had already come 500 years earlier.
The teaching had been that Elijah, who had not died, would return. The disciples
understand Jesus to be telling them that John the Baptist was Elijah.
This does not fit our categories.
The central event that does not fit our categories is the transfiguration
of Jesus. The NIV says "the appearance of his face changed and his
clothes became as bright as a flash of lightening." The KJV says
"his countenance was altered and his raiment was white and glistening."
Mark in his typical earthy way says "his clothes became dazzling white,
whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them." Matthew tells
us "his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the
light."
Peter, James and John are overwhelmed and basically nod off. When they wake
up they want to build shelters, one each for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. They
probably thought this extraordinary encounter was going to continue and they
reacted accordingly.
When the cloud envelops them and they hear the voice say, "This is
my beloved Son: hear him", they finally realize something
outside their perception of reality is happening and it absolutely does not
fit the categories they or we understand. They are afraid and they do not
tell others what they have seen.
The message is simple and dramatic. Jesus is the Messiah and God is present
and active in our lives. This is the fundamental truth of the Transfiguration
story. Reality as we know it has been turned inside out. Reality transcends
what we can see, smell, touch, hear and taste. Our human centered, scientific
categories are inadequate. They stop short of spiritual reality.
Paul expresses this forcefully in Romans, "Do not conform any longer
to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is…"
Paul gives us a clue about how to make our way in a transformed and transfigured
world. Let’s look again at two elements of the Transfiguration story.
In Luke’s version he tells us Moses and Elijah were talking about Jesus’
imminent death in Jerusalem. Today, we now have the stories of many near death
experiences of people. One of the most common elements of these experiences
is the presence of white light and often the sense of a path or tunnel toward
that light. Sometimes the person experiences the presence of a person radiating
that light. Intense white light is also associated with many intense spiritual
or religious experiences. Similar descriptions occur in other cultures. The
Tibetan Book of Living and Dying describes similar near death experiences.
Our death is a part of our life but for most of us in our culture, it is uncomfortable
to look too closely at our death. You might say it does not fit our perception
of reality. Peter, James and John did not get it that Jesus’ death was
imminent. Mark tells us they were discussing among themselves what ‘rising
from the dead meant.’ Then and now, dealing with death is usually avoided
until it confronts us and we can avoid it no longer. There is a deep connection
here with Jesus’ face shining like the sun and his clothes startling
white and glistening. Jesus’ looming crucifixion is an integral part
of his life.
Let’s go back to a second element, which is the presence of Moses and
Elijah in the Transfiguration story. What are Luke, Mark and Matthew telling
us by their presence? I believe they represent the continuity of the Law and
the Prophets in Jesus of Nazareth and the continuity of God’s covenant
activity in the person and presence of Jesus. In God’s covenant with
Israel, God’s righteousness means God’s presence in the midst of
his people as help and salvation. Jesus is the embodiment of the righteousness
of God.
We usually think of ‘righteous’ or ‘righteousness’ as
a state and a person is or is not righteous. But the Biblical meaning, the
meaning in Hebrew, is an activity, a way of being with others, with our neighbors.
We express it as loving our neighbors, loving our enemies and doing justice.
We can normally fit ‘loving our neighbor’ into our perception of
reality, but the going gets pretty tough when we try to fit loving our enemies
into our perception of reality.
Transforming our mind and our perception of reality is uncommonly difficult.
We may know in our head that our death is part of our life, but being able
to engage our death and talk about it with our loved ones is no easy task.
I recently called on a 70-year-old Roman Catholic woman in a hospice program
in her home. Her children had just been able to tell her she was dying. She
asked for a chaplain and it was clear, when I visited with her, she was a
little frightened. But she is fortunate. Her kids and relatives are there
and they have been able to confront her impending death.
Transforming our mind and our perception of reality is no more complicated
than simply deciding who we really are as the body of Christ and what is really
important to us.
One small step in helping each of us to transform our perception of reality
might just be something as simple as sharing something of who you really are
with the person in front of you, or behind you or three seats to your left.
We feel vulnerable at the thought, but the outcome might surprise you.
AMEN.
