Transfiguration B
February 15, 2015
Mark 9:2-9
In the
church calendar, this Sunday before Ash Wednesday, the Sunday before we begin
the season of Lent, is always Transfiguration Sunday. It is the day we hear
this mysterious and miraculous story about Jesus bringing his favorite
disciples up on a mountaintop, and before their very eyes he changes into
something so bright and glorious that words cannot describe. (Did you notice
that the gospel writer Mark tries to explain by saying, “His clothes were dazzling
white,” but quickly adds the equivalent of, “But actually way more than that.
Believe me, this was whiter than anything you can even imagine.”) The
Transfiguration is, arguably, one of the most important events in Jesus’
earthly life – right up there with his charming birth narrative, horrifying
death, and
inexplicable rising from the grave.
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| Transfiguration JESUS MAFA, 1882 |
Why is this
story so important? Up until this point, the disciples have seen Jesus heal,
preach, and change lives wherever he goes, but all that he has done has been
very… human. He is to them an extraordinary human (and just before this
experience Peter has rightly pegged him as the Messiah), but they have seen him
as human nonetheless. But not so in the transfiguration. In this moment, for
the first time, the disciples see Jesus as something otherworldly – angelic,
maybe, in a way that cannot be described in mere words, and certainly can’t be
explained, not to each other and definitely not to anyone who wasn’t even there
to see it! Yes, Peter, James and John have seen Jesus for who and what he truly
is: the glorious Son of God.
It’s a great
story, with many entry points for the preacher. Oh yes, the preacher could
reflect on how Jesus was transfigured or changed before them, and when we are
in God’s presence, we too, are changed. Or she could focus in on God’s voice
from heaven telling them to “listen to him,” and our own need to listen to
Jesus. Or she could wax on about how often we try to explain things, but that
God is indeed inexplicable, and instead we should just make room to revel in
God’s glory. Yes, all of these would make splendid sermons – I have either
heard or preached them all myself.
But what
grabbed my attention this time around was none of that exciting and rich
preaching material. No, this time I got bogged down by that frustrating last
line: “As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them to tell no one
about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man was risen from the dead.”
What?! Don’t
tell? Why not? If I had been one of the disciples there, I would have put up a
fuss: “Come on, Jesus, that was awesome! I mean, this is good stuff here – if
you really want people to believe in you and follow you, this is the kind of
story that’s gonna sell. It’s just good marketing.
But no,
Jesus will have none of it. He wants them to keep it a secret.
Have you ever had a really good,
juicy secret? I mean, a life-changing secret, the kind of secret that, when you
share it, you know nothing will ever be the same again. Do you remember how it
felt to finally share that secret? Maybe it was when you told your family you
were engaged. Or when you shared that you were pregnant. Or maybe when you told
your kids you were moving to a new town. Or maybe it wasn’t such a good secret
– maybe it was that you lost a job, or got a dreaded diagnosis, or have been
engaging in unhealthy or destructive behavior that someone needs to know about.
Whatever the secret, whether good or
bad, there is a certain relief to sharing it, isn’t there? In the case of those
difficult secrets, it is likely very hard to finally share with your loved
ones, but once you do, the tears can flow and healing can start to happen. In
the case of those happier secrets, there is likely joyful shouting and hugging.
Sometimes secrets can be a mixture of pain and happiness. Whatever the case, we
know that nothing can move forward until the truth is out there.
I wonder
what it was like for those disciples to hear from Jesus, “You’ve got to keep
this to yourselves.” …Actually, maybe I don’t wonder that, because you know
what? Sometimes I think we are still keeping that secret. We are still keeping
to ourselves the truth about God’s glory, or at least only talking about it
with a select group of people who already know about it. We are keeping secret
the ways that being in God’s presence transfigures us, our lives, our actions.
We are keeping secret the ways that a relationship with Christ gives us freedom
from the burden of sin, and nourishes and guides us on our journey. We are
keeping all of that secret right along with the disciples.
But if
you’ll notice, keeping the secret is only the first part of the commandment. There
is a second part to the command: “tell no one until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.” Last I
checked, that already happened. Jesus is
risen from the dead. He already did
have the angel tell his disciples that it’s time to go and tell everyone.
So what’s
keeping us from spilling the beans on Jesus’ super juicy secret? What’s keeping
us from telling the world about how our eyes have seen the glory of the coming
of the Lord? What’s keeping us from letting the light of Christ shine through
our every pore? What’s keeping us from sharing with others about how freeing it
is to live a life in which you know always of God’s unconditional love, in
which forgiveness is always offered, in which being dedicated to love and serve
one another is a way of life? To me, that stuff is too darn good to keep
secret!
So how do we
do it? How do we spill the beans? The easiest way is to invite. People are much
more likely to come to church if they are coming with someone – aren’t you more comfortable going to a strange place
if you know someone there? We often have “side door events” here, which are
meant to be low-pressure – such as game nights, or this week’s All-You-Can-Eat
Pancake dinner on Tuesday. Our Lenten series this year is also an entry point. The
topic of simplicity was intentionally chosen as one that is sort of hip right
now even in secular culture, meaning that it speaks to something people are
already interested in. We have some wonderful sessions planned, some with
experts on the topics, and this is basically an opportunity to invite people
for an hour of free education as well as a warm meal, fellowship with nice
people, and a time for quiet with God (though people are welcome to come for as
much or little of that as they like!). You might also take an extra copy of our
devotional to give to someone you think could use a little more intentional
reflection on God in the coming weeks. And of course, you can always invite
someone to come to church on Sundays – I don’t think we’re such a bad group of
folks, and people might actually enjoy what they find here!
Brothers and
sisters, don’t keep this a secret anymore! This is juicy stuff. Share it widely
and creatively. The story of Christ is a story full of good news… we don’t want
to keep this to ourselves a moment longer!
Let us pray…
God of Glory, on a mountaintop you
revealed to your disciples your true nature. Reveal yourself to us every day,
and give us the courage and creativity to share you and your many gifts to
those whom we meet in our daily life. In the name of the Father and the Son and
the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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