Pastor Tom Johnson, February 14, 2021
Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up the mountain to witness the unveiling of his glory. The other nine disciples are excluded from this vision of Christ. Jesus’ clothes become dazzling white. Moses and Elijah appear and talk to Jesus. Peter suggests setting up camp and extending Moses and Elijah’s stay. Peter does not say this because it’s a great idea. In fact, he says this because he does not know what to say. Our text says that Peter, James, and John are terrified. Ironically, even though they witness this sensational event, their vision of it is limited. Fear has prevented them from thinking clearly. Jesus tells the selective three not to say anything until he has risen from the dead. Later they discuss between themselves what “rising from the dead” means. We should find their confusion encouraging. Even if we were there with Jesus on the mountain, it would not necessarily mean that we would have a clearer vision of Jesus—who he is and what he came to do. We too might be overwhelmed by what we experienced, tongue tied, and confused.
Jesus challenges Peter, James, and John to look beyond all the suffering, chaos, and confusion that they will soon experience and to fix their eyes on the time when they will proclaim Jesus’ victory over death and his rising from the dead. But they are not there yet. They need more time to learn and grow in their faith. Jesus challenges them to see beyond this glorious event on the mountain and beyond the turmoil about to unfold when he is betrayed, arrested, crucified, and buried. He has faith in them to eventually understand and boldly proclaim the resurrection.
Lent begins with our descent from the mount of Transfiguration to Ash Wednesday. It ends with our ascent up to Mt. Zion where Jesus is crucified on the hill called Calvary and buried at the bottom of that same mountain. Lent is a journey between these two mountains. And like any journey between two peaks, it can be difficult to clearly see while we are in the valley below. It can be hard for any of us to maintain a clear vision of the risen Christ—to fix our eyes on Jesus the Author and Perfecter of our faith.
In our prayer today, we pray that God would give us the vision to see beyond the turmoil of our world and to behold the King in all his glory. I doubt I need to convince you of the turmoil of our world we have all experienced in the last year: Political turmoil, pandemic turmoil, economic turmoil to name a few. In addition to that we have our own personal turmoil. The upheaval of our lives due to personal tragedies, loss of friends and family, loss of jobs, broken relationships, our own captivity to sin, and the seductive power of evil. I must admit how difficult it is for me to see beyond the turmoil of our world. It’s so easy to wake up, check the headlines, and feel the paralyzing effects of anxiety it creates within me.
A few days ago, I heard a mental health professional on the radio say that “the saliency of politics is too high.” That is to say, when we consume social and news media, we allow it to consume us. We vote certain people into positions of authority. But after that, we allow what is out of our control to consume us. We feel rage toward certain politicians and political parties when things don’t go our way. We unfriend people on social media who cannot be civil and kind. We are no longer on speaking terms with friends and even family because it is just too divisive and explosive. Even in the Christ’s Church we see this. We have not infiltrated the world with the edifying language of hope, peace, love, forgiveness, and eternal life through Jesus. Instead, we have let the destructive language of divisiveness, fear, and pride infiltrate the church and our faith lives. We no longer see beyond the turmoil of this world. We have instead allowed the turmoil of this world to cloud our vision, our judgment, and our callings. Jesus calls us to see beyond what is immediately before us. He calls us to envision the world the way he is re-creating it.
Our Scripture from 2 Corinthians (4:6) says that “it is the God who said, ‘Let the light shine out of darkness,’ who has [also] shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Christ shines on the Mount of Transfiguration. But he also shines in our hearts. He has given us a vision of his glory by bring light to our darkness—by creating faith and love in us by his Word and Spirit. This vision of Christ unclouds our thinking about creation and our re-creation. It calls us to fix our eyes on Jesus the Author and Perfecter of our faith—to believe that he who began a good work in us will bring it to completion at the day of our Lord, Jesus Christ. He enables us to look beyond the turmoil of this world. It’s not that the turmoil is not real—or that we should live in denial of disappointment, pain, and suffering—but that we see beyond the turmoil. Jesus tells us on the way down the mountain that the turmoil will pale in comparison to the blinding beauty of Christ who conquers death, sin, and all evil. It’s this looking beyond by the vision of Christ that makes the psalmist say, “yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” “Surely goodness and mercy shall pursue me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23).
With shining face and bright array
Christ deigns to manifest today
What glory shall be theirs above
Who joy in God with perfect love.
(“O Wondrous Type! O Vision Fair,” LSB 413 v. 3)
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