Sunday Next BeforE Lent

One of my happy childhood memories is climbing the mountain, Helvelyn in the Lake District with my father and brothers. On the way up Dad roped us children together as we made our way over the notoriously dangerous Striding Edge, battered by wind and enveloped in cloud. I think Dad was relieved to get to the top with all three of us still there and even more so when the cloud lifted, the wind died down and we looked across the Lakes in glorious sunshine.

In our gospel reading today, Jesus took Peter, James and John up a mountain, not to look at the view, though the view from Mount Tabor or Hermon (whichever scholar you believe) would have been quite stunning; with Galilee stretched out before them. No, Jesus took his friends up the mountain so that they might experience something most out of the ordinary. So extraordinary that all three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) all record the event, Peter wants to contain the experience   suggesting that he erects shelters for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Later Peter writes about it in a letter (2 Peter 1:16-end). So extraordinary is this experience we call the transfiguration that scholars largely agree it must have happened! So what was this extraordinary event that the disciples witnessed on the mountain top?

We are told that whilst Jesus was there he was transfigured before them, his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly Moses and Elijah were there too talking with Jesus. Whilst they were speaking together, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud came a voice, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’

Not surprisingly, Peter, James and John fall down and are overcome with fear. Jesus comes to them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ And we are told: they looked up and saw no one except Jesus. On the way down the mountain, Jesus tells them not to tell anyone what they have experienced until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead. Quite extraordinary – I wonder what you or I might have made of it all.

Some people say Jesus was shining brightly because He was divine. As Christians we believe Jesus is divine but the shining can’t be a sign of divinity as in Luke’s account of this story both Moses and Elijah are shining too – and they are not divine. In addition Jesus had said previously to that all believers would shine like stars in God’s kingdom (Mathew 13:43, quote Daniel 12:3). So the story isn’t simply there to tell us Jesus is divine.

So what was going on? Matthew along with the other gospel writers seems to be saying if you want to see Jesus’ glory you need to look at Jesus suffering and death on the cross. (Remember Jesus says to keep things quiet until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.) It’s a paradox, isn’t it?  To see Jesus in glory we need to see him on the cross. The transfiguration on the mountain is a parallel to the crucifixion, told later in Matthew 27:33-54. If you look at one you need to think about both:

• On Mountain Jesus is revealed in glory: on a hill outside Jerusalem Jesus is revealed in shame.

• Jesus’ cloths were shining white: on the cross they are stripped off and soldiers gamble for them.

• Here Jesus is with Moses and Elijah, two of Israel’s greatest leaders, representing the law and the prophets: there Jesus hangs between two criminals, representing just how far Israel sunk in rebellion from God.

• Here a bright cloud overshadows them: there darkness falls over the land.

• Here Peter suggests making shelters: there Peter hides in shame having denied he even knows Jesus.

• Here a voice comes from God declaring “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” there a soldier declares that this is really God’s Son.

The Mountain top experience explains the hill top and vice versa. It’s like looking through the lenses of a pair of binoculars, you can look through one lens and see something, but you need to hold the binoculars steady and gaze through both lenses at the same time to see the picture clearly in focus. And we are asked to look Jesus’ glory and cross together, as one without the other does not give us the full picture. We need to learn to see the cross in the glory and the glory in the cross; bringing together the tears and the joy of God in the clouds and God who is known in Jesus. Transfiguration is about learning to recognise the love, beauty and power of God in Jesus and to be in relationship with him, listening for His voice day by day.

Mathew often highlights the relationship between Jesus and Moses in the gospel. We are reminded that Moses led Israel out of Egypt, and went up to Mount Sinai to receive the law. Moses went up the mountain to beg for the Israel’s forgiveness, and God promised Moses that he would send a prophet just like him and told Moses to tell Israel that when he comes, they must listen to him. In the story of the transfiguration, Moses and God’s voice call us to listen to Jesus. Though Jesus isn’t just a prophet he’s God’s Son, the Messiah and God is delighted in him.

Today is the last Sunday before lent. This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and as followers of Jesus we begin a period of reflection on our lives and on our relationship with Jesus. It’s a good time to ask ourselves the question how am I seeking day by day in my life to listen more carefully and more attentively to Jesus? 

A good number of people consider giving up something for lent, but I’d like to encourage us this morning to take something on – to seek to listen more carefully and more attentively to Jesus. If it’s not already your habit to do so, maybe you might decide this lent to spend time each day with God in prayer, quietly waiting listening for God’s voice. Or maybe to increase the time you already spend with God or set aside a special time of prayer alone or with others listening to God. Perhaps this lent you might arrange a quiet day – when you spend a good part of the day with God. Or how about reading more scripture or a book, which will help you deepen your relationship with Jesus. You might like to attend a lent group with others such as those being run by churches together in Stafford (if you’d like details of these I can give them to you afterwards).

Whatever is helpful for you and feels right. This lent my prayer for each of us is that we would use this lent to seek to draw closer to Jesus, looking through both lenses to see the cross and the glory side by side and be open to listen to Jesus in our  lives. Amen.