2 Kings 2:1-12
Psalm 50:1-6
2 Corinthians 4:3-6
Mark 9:2-9
Year B
I.N.I. (In the name of Jesus)
BLESSED TRANSFIGURATION, FRIENDS AT CHRIST THE KING.
Throughout this time of Epiphany we have been given glimpses and insight into the power and authority of Jesus of Nazareth.
As Jesus moves about Galilee preaching the good news kingdom of God, healing the sick, and casting out demons, entire crowds envelope him to garnish some of that glimmer. Still others grumble and mutter about success, critiquing his bending of the rules and regulations that govern what a good Jewish boy should do. ("Did I just see him heal on the Sabbath?" "Wait a minute. Did he just touch a leper?" "Hold on. Why is he paying attention to a bleeding old woman?")
We as hearers, or onlookers, should be building our own opinions and drawing our own conclusions about how Jesus fits into our own way of living. We can ask ourselves, "What place does this Jesus have in our lives?" Does the good news of the kingdom hang around the edges of our priority list, somewhere on it, or might it serves as the core, the central idea that drives our decision and activity and time? If Jesus is for us the power and authority of God, serving to banish evil and seeking out the neighbor in need, how do we take notice of Jesus and how to we find room for the kingdom he proclaimed that is here in our midst?
Transfiguration is a "ramping up" kind of feast and experience. You don't just step into transfiguration and walk out of it, saying, "oh, that was nice. We'll have to do that again some time." It is in your face, a spotlight, like the old-fashioned interrogation rooms from police shows where it's you and the cop, all alone. The single lamp on the table is swung in your direction, and while you are sweating it out the question is posed, "who is Jesus for you?"
Consider transfiguration. Placed smack dab in the middle of Mark, this "ramping up" the mountain is for the smallest circle of those who hang with Jesus, Peter and James and John. Since we are privileged to be in their company in the hearing of the story, you might consider it your own special invitation to a personal retreat. You get time away, to a cabin in the mountains, without the cabin. You can practically feel the nearness of God being so high up, and so accessible to Jesus with just a few of your friends.
Then, transfiguration happens! Epiphany happens! Glory is revealed, like the brightest sun blazing down so there is no mistaking what you see. Jesus shows his true colors, indescribably dazzling! You see him talking with Elijah, and you remember Elijah's power and authority over the Ba'al prophets and how his mantle parted the water and how he was carried away in whirlwind with chariots of fire and then passed the mantle (literally) to his right-hand man Elisha. Then you see Jesus chatting with Moses, and you remember Moses' parting the sea with his staff and leading the Israelites to freedom, and his giving over of the law. You are drinking up all that those giant figures stand for in your faith tank, and all that glory on the mountain moving around Jesus. Good old Peter is so impressed, that he says, "Hey, let's make tent sites for the three of you, Jesus." He had no clue what he was saying; it was so wildly terrifying and awesome.
The voice sounding like a siren blares out "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him," and you remember Jesus' power and authority being conferred on him by the Spirit at his baptism in the Jordan River and the same voice and the same words.
Then it's over. The experience, the vision, the glory, the transfiguration, and the mountain retreat. It's just you and your friends, and Jesus. And the debriefing of the retreat experience comes from Jesus, directing silence until after the Son of Man has risen from the dead.
What does one do with one's experience of Jesus? Many things.
Today is the last feast before Lent, a Mardi Gras of sorts to one last time bask in glory. Like the transfiguration experience, we allow our Alleluias and Glorias to ring out one last time before we put them away until Easter.
And as we gear up for the descent from the mountain, here are some ways we might use this transformational experience for the time ahead. Rather than be silent, we who live after the resurrection could share our experience of faith with a friend, using some plans we might make for Lent as an example. Why might it be important to make time for Ash Wednesday as a day of repentance, and then to make time pray with others on following Wednesdays? What might you be doing in Lent that signals openness to change and growth, whether it's changing your diet, exercise, Bible Study, personal time for silence and prayer, or extra giving of time and money toward something worthwhile?
Today is a ramping up kind of feast. As you prepare for the journey ahead, consider this a day to pack, and to pack light. With a few friends, or your family, and talk about Lenten observances-what you are planning, and how you might share reflections and practices together. Look at the ways Christ the King is marking the journey with prayer and study, and mealtime gatherings.
Consider each Sunday as a kind of oasis, or rest stop along the journey, where refreshment and a glimmer of future glory is revealed. Here in our weekly worship, as you stretch to stand, and bend to kneel, think of these as exercises for your own transformation within the community of God's beloved Son. As you walk toward the highest peak in this building where the altar stands, find beauty and mystery in communion with Christ through bread and wine, that it might sustain you through rough roads ahead.
And today in the days to come, keep asking the question, "What place does Jesus have in my life," and turn it into a prayer that may be glory today, mercy tomorrow, and light and love in God's future.
GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, PEACE TO GOD'S PEOPLE ON EARTH.
BLESSED TRANSFIGURATION, FRIENDS MAKING THE JOURNEY TOGETHER.
I.N.I.
The Rev. Timothy J. Keyl, Pastor
Christ the King Lutheran Church
