ONE DEGREE OF GLORY TO ANOTHER

A Sermon for Transfiguration Sunday
February 18, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

Luke 9:28-36
Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"--not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen. (New Revised Standard Version)

2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2
Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness, not like Moses, who put a veil over his face to keep the people of Israel from gazing at the end of the glory that was being set aside. But their minds were hardened. Indeed, to this very day, when they hear the reading of the old covenant, that same veil is still there, since only in Christ is it set aside. Indeed, to this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds; but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit. Therefore, since it is by God's mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God's word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God. (New Revised Standard Version)

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

This morning, we celebrate Transfiguration Sunday. We hear Luke’s Gospel account of this amazing event in which Jesus takes Peter and James and John up the mountain with him and then is transfigured before their very eyes. His face changes and his clothes become dazzling white. In the original Greek, this word is closer to “lightning”. That’s some pretty impressive pyrotechnics, now isn’t it?

Not only that, but the great Moses appears as does Elijah and the three of them begin to converse. Moses, who represents the law God gave to the people, and Elijah, who represents the prophets through whom God spoke and guided the people, appear from beyond the grave and talk with Jesus on the mountain top. No wonder the disciples are awed by the experience. The glory must have been completely overwhelming.

Though we hear this story every single year, I think it is hard for us to relate to. I mean we’ve never seen Jesus in person, let alone see him transfigured in all his glory. We get a sense of this scene being a spectacular, supernatural event of Biblical times that is unfathomable to us in our modern world.

In this way, it become a difficult story to interpret. Peter doesn’t even seem to be able to interpret it correctly and he was an eyewitness. With great enthusiasm (and not too much insight), he blurts out: "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He wants the glory to keep on going. And why wouldn’t he? He doesn’t want Jesus to stop glowing or for Moses and Elijah to go away so he thinks if he can just get some booths constructed quickly for them to hang out in, if he can just get some contractors to throw them up, these two might stick around a while longer. This moment might last. But just that quickly, a cloud covers them and God’s voice says: "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" And then the transfiguration is over.

Luke has written the story in this way because, I believe, he is inviting us into the experience. He beckons us to stand with Peter and James and John and to encounter the lightning-laden glory of the transfiguration. But he doesn’t want us to get fixated upon this event like Peter did, as if it were the only revelation of God’s glory that ever would be. You see Luke is showing us that in the transfiguration, Jesus pulls away the veil for a moment and reveals what our every day lives tend to conceal: that we we are never far from the dazzling and miraculous glory of the everlasting God.

This glory is too wonderful, too omnipresent to pin down. That’s why Peter couldn’t go through with his booth plan. You cannot turn the glory of God on and off like a faucet, as if it were something we could control.

And this uncontrollable and marvelous glory didn’t end when John set down his pen after writing the final book of the Bible—it is ongoing. Through the ages we’ve seen God’s glory continue. We’ve seen glory in the survival and growth of the early Christian church. We’ve seen it in the saints and martyrs, who gave it all for the sake of the Gospel. We’ve seen it in the missionary zeal that spread the good news around the globe.

We encounter this glory today whenever we see a magnificent art work or architectural structure or hear beautiful music or read a moving piece of literature. We experience God’s glory in each glowing sunset, in each glance at the mighty Mississippi that runs through our town, in the dawn of each new day. We see the glory of God in the gift of parents, children, friends, community.

God’s glory is here to inspire us and fill us with awe. It is here to engage us and keep us steadfast in our faith. It invigorates us for doing God’s will. It calms us when we are filled with anxiety. It comforts us in our sorrows.

And the glory of our almighty God calls out to us in this very moment. How dare we think that the glory of the transfiguration was only for that time and place? This glory is the force of truth eagerly waiting to set us free, to transform us into the image of God.

The transfiguration merely reminds that the veil that separates us from God’s revelation of glory is wafer thin. This is what Paul is talking about in his letter to the Corinthians in our second lesson for today. He recalls the story from our first lesson about how Moses had to cover his face because it was still glowing from his encounter with God and how God’s people hardened their hearts to this glory. And there are those who still veil their minds from God’s glory. But when we turn to God, the veil is removed. “And all of us,” he writes, “with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.” This is why we have hope, why we do not lose heart, why we can act with boldness!

And so today as we contemplate Transfiguration Sunday, we are invited to contemplate the glory of God in our own lives. What can we do to unveil our minds so that we can truly be present to the times when God shows up? How can we participate more fully in the Spirit’s work to transform us into that same image of the transfigured Christ—to move us forward from one degree of glory to another? How can we live with deeper hope? These are exciting and glorious questions to explore. May we do so boldly.

Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

© Laura E. Gentry 2007