Transfiguration--what does that mean?

Transfiguration SundayA, March 2, 2014, Sullivan Park Care Center, by Annette Fricke

            Those who would discard the Old Testament would have great difficulty interpreting just what was happening on the mountain of transfiguration.  What does all of this mean, anyway?  First of all, what is transfiguration? Simply put, transfiguration is a complete change of form or appearance into a more beautiful or spiritual state. The transfiguration is about Jesus’ relationship to the law and the prophets. It is a revealing once again as to Jesus’ identity and why we should follow him.

            Bible scholars think the likely location of the Transfiguration was Mount Hermon, a 9,200 feet snow-capped mountain, the runoff of which flows into several streams which merges into the Jordan River. Moses represented the law and Elijah the prophets. Jesus, the promised Messiah, is the fulfillment of the law and prophets and is greater than both. Both Moses and Elijah had seen a vision of the glory of God on a mountain, Moses on Mount Sinai and Elijah on Mount Horeb. The disciples were terrified because they saw a rare peek into God's invisible kingdom, merging with the physical realm of earth. Jesus' glory shone through from inside him, revealing him as God in the flesh. God the Father appeared as a cloud, a mask frequently seen in the Old Testament. His words echoed the same thing he said at Jesus' baptism. When he ordered the disciples to listen to Jesus, it meant the gospel would replace the law as God's plan of salvation.

            This scene with Jesus is utterly overwhelming.  This is a display of just how much God, the almighty God, creator of heaven and earth, of all that is, the infinite and eternal desires to be in relationship with humanity.  There is no doubt that this is what the author of Matthew wants us to know.  And about that relationship with humanity, Jesus tells us to go—it is a commandment---and do not be afraid.  To illustrate this further, I quote from a friend of mine:

Jesus Moment: (the moments when the Heavens open and God says, I have been telling you that all along and now you're getting it?!) [While I was switching cars with my wife in the parking lot of Taco Bell and I saw two ladies standing out in front of a car with the hood up, gingerly touching the engine (like you would try to pick up a squirmy bug, but you know you're never really going to, let's be honest). So I told Jess I was going to stay behind and ask if they needed help (and no, I am not a mechanic the only further step I can go to is unscrewing knobs that I don't know connect where to where and then rub my hands together with a napkin like I am the Taco Bell mechanic). I step out to ask if they need help and they are so excited. For which I now feel I should really know more about cars when I ask to help others with theirs. Turns out it overheated because there was no antifreeze of which she happened to have a couple liters of. [I]poured it in and let the car run and soak in the green goodness that soothed its radiator heart and it purred like a kitten. As I walked away I had this Jesus moment....At the end of a long week where life can get long, the days can drag your emotions can be consumed in good ways and in bad all you want is that unwind time. When I helped these ladies it felt like I had just had the best week of my life and that was 3.5 minutes compared to countless hours in the week. When you feel bad, help someone else in their needs and experience a joy that can overcome any kind of week. I praise God for bringing that car and those ladies into my path if only for a moment.
It was a Jesus moment.

            This is what the transfiguration is all about, it is allowing the transformative power of Jesus to take us to an unselfish place, forgetting ourselves, despite our resistance, our excuses as to why we should not do something. It is living in the resurrection of Jesus on a daily basis.  Oswald Chambers put it this way, “We need to rely on the resurrection life of Jesus on a much deeper level than we do now.  We should get in the habit of continually seeking His counsel on everything, instead of making our own common sense decisions and then asking Him to bless them.”  Our text makes it plain along with other places before it in the gospel of Matthew, “Get up, and do not be afraid,” or as in another translation, “Rise, and do not be afraid.”  We are first to follow the command of Jesus, then to not be afraid, remembering that God goes with us as resurrection people.

            How do we know that God is working through us?  Another friend of mine tells me this story.  As Sandy was praying in her apartment, completely unaware of time and space, she woke from her half dream state and thought, “It’s Wednesday and time to go to choir practice.” So she got her coat on, vaguely aware of the rain as it poured from the sky and drove to the church.  When she got to the church, she tried the doors to the church.  They were locked.  She’d forgotten that choir was on break after Christmas.  She went back to her car to make the journey home again when she noticed that someone parked next to her needed help.  The driver of the other car had locked her keys in her car.  Sandy remembered that she had AAA on her phone plan, so she called and the other driver was able to get into her car to take her son home from a Boy Scout meeting.

            Both of these examples are true stories and illustrate how God can work in simple, direct ways.  Both are what I would call God’s work through humans who wish to do God’s will in their lives.  Both are caring and compassionate to those around them. Both were open to allowing God to work through them to help others.

            The transfiguration is both a looking back to Jesus’ baptism where a voice from heaven says, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”  Now we have something added.  In this story, the voice from heaven says, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with him I am well pleased; listen to him!”  Now that you know who Jesus is, do as he commands. It is an awesome task, but what God expects is not really that difficult if you are willing to look away from your own needs to that of someone else, even a complete stranger.  But it isn’t you that is the doer or the one who should get the credit.  It is God to whom we owe our very lives.  It is God who is to be given the glory.  Every day, every moment, we should be thanking God for the opportunity to serve in Jesus’ name.

            The transfiguration looks to the future.  It describes for us not only that Jesus will continue to be beloved of God and fulfill all that God requires of him, it also tells us what we are to be as his disciples.  We are to walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God.  We should not neglect to do good and to share what we have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.  All thanks be to God who has given and continues to give us the power and strength to continue our ministries in God’s name.  To God be the glory, who by the resurrection of Jesus, has given us resurrection lives that see beyond ourselves. Amen.