Sunday, March 6, 2011
Transfiguration of Our Lord
Midweek Musings
Reflection by Karen Grover
INTRODUCTION
Today's festival is a bridge between the Advent-Christmas-Epiphany cycle that comes to a close today and the Lent-Easter cycle that begins in several days. On the mount of transfiguration Jesus is revealed as God's beloved Son, echoing the words at his baptism. This vision of glory sustains us as Jesus faces his impending death in Jerusalem.
We turn this week to Ash Wednesday and our yearly baptismal journey from Lent to Easter. Some churches put aside the alleluia at the conclusion of today's liturgy. This word of joy will be omitted during the penitential season of Lent and will be sung again at Easter.
| Prayer of the Day (ELW) |
O God, in the transfiguration of your Son you confirmed the mysteries of the faith by the witness of Moses and Elijah, and in the voice from the bright cloud declaring Jesus your beloved Son, you foreshadowed our adoption as your children. Make us heirs with Christ of your glory, and bring us to enjoy its fullness, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
| First Reading | Exodus 24:12–18 |
At Mount Sinai, Moses experienced the presence of God for forty days and forty nights. The "glory of the Lord" settled on the mountain, and on the seventh day God called out to Moses. On the mountain God gave Moses the stone tablets inscribed with the ten commandments.
12The LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction." 13So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. 14To the elders he had said, "Wait here for us, until we come to you again; for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them."
15Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16The glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. 17Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.
| Psalm (ELW) | Psalm 2 |
You are my son; this day have I begotten you. (Ps. 2:7)
1Why are the nations | in an uproar?
Why do the peoples mutter | empty threats?
2Why do the kings of the earth rise up in revolt,
and the princes | plot together,
against the LORD and against the | LORD's anointed?
3"Let us break their | yoke," they say;
"let us cast off their | bonds from us."
4God whose throne is in heav- | en is laughing;
the LORD holds them | in derision.
5Then in wrath God | speaks to them,
and in rage fills | them with terror.
6"As for me, I have anoint- | ed my king
upon Zion, my | holy mountain."
7Let me announce the decree | of the LORD,
who said to me, "You are my son; this day have I be- | gotten you.
8Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for | your inheritance
and the ends of the earth for | your possession.
9You shall crush them with an | iron rod
and shatter them like a | piece of pottery."
10And now, you | kings, be wise;
be warned, you rulers | of the earth.
11Submit to the | LORD with fear,
and with trembling | bow in worship;
12lest the LORD be angry, and you perish in a sudden | blaze of wrath.
Happy are all who take ref- | uge in God!
|
| 2 Peter 1:16–21 |
At the transfiguration, God's voice was heard, declaring Jesus to be the beloved Son. By the activity of the Holy Spirit, God's voice continues to be heard through the word of scripture.
16For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." 18We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.
19So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, 21because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
| Gospel | Matthew 17:1–9 |
Shortly before he enters Jerusalem, where he will be crucified, Jesus is revealed to his disciples in a mountaintop experience of divine glory called the transfiguration.
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. 2And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. 3Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4Then Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." 5While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!" 6When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. 7But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Get up and do not be afraid." 8And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.
9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."
THOUGHTS:
This is truly one of those "mountaintop experiences." In thinking about the use of that term, I realize how very casually it is used to describe different happenings in one's life. I mean, think about it--Jesus appears to Peter, James and John with a face as bright as the sun and his clothes dazzling white. He is giving them a preview of what is to come--his divinity--God's revelation of his gift to us through his son's death. That is a mountaintop experience and had to be such a shock to Peter, James and John. What I have a hard time grasping is when they see Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus, Peter offers to set up three dwellings for them? I can't imagine collecting my thoughts enough to offer to do that. But, then, God comes into the picture and redirects Peter's attention to Jesus, more or less telling him to get his priorities straight when he says ".......listen to him!"
The described vision was very brief (although there is no way of really knowing that.) When the disciples looked up they saw only Jesus, who tells them not to be afraid. Of course Jesus also tells them not to tell anybody about their vision until after he has risen. This is not the first time they are instructed not to tell what they have seen. But this was a glimpse into the divinity of Jesus. That had to be difficult to keep this "mountaintop experience" a secret. But, then, maybe not because we see the disciples fluctuate back and forth in their understanding of what Jesus is trying to prepare them for. The disciples most often go back to thinking about Jesus as a human being, not as a divine being. I sometimes do that when I look up at the cross--I think of his suffering--the human aspect. But I am most often redirected.
Really getting it--the whole purpose of the life of Jesus, his death and resurrection--can get lost in the everyday happenings of our lives. But he is never lost to me.
LET US PRAY:
that we are ever mindful of the divine Jesus
for God's protection of the rebelling Libyans
for the Egyptians as they rebuild their country
for those who are hungry and without shelter
for the many children who want loving homes
QUOTE:
"This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!"
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