+Luke 9: 28-36
Can you imagine the wonder of that great moment of the Transfiguration? Imagine the shock and awe that James, Peter, and John felt as their friend and companion Jesus became wholly divine; remember they had not been present for his baptism. How something so very ordinary could become something so extraordinary.
Some centuries-old Orthodox icons attempt to describe this awesome event that is found in three of the four Gospels, by using ordinary paints and egg washes to elucidate and visibly coax the great presence of Emmanuel before our minds eye. Imagine, if you will, an image of Jesus, clothed in dazzlingly bright white clothes with glorious rays bursting forth in great power from His body. The two great prophets of Israel stand in God’s presence and bow their knees in honor before the unifying figure of their God in Human form, right before their faces. In one particular icon Moses rests his hand over his heart in thanksgiving, pointing to the Tablets of the Ten commandment. Elijah holds his hands open attesting to the presence of the God of Israel, the Messiah, before his eyes.
What is most interesting about this icon depicting Jesus’ Transfiguration is the reaction of the three apostles. One apostle, I think it’s James, covers his eyes at the gloriously frightening white that his friend swims in. Young John, so surprised he is literally thrown on his back in a combination of shock, fright, and excitement as he scrambles far away from the event. And Peter, clutching the keys of the kingdom, bows in honor before the sight.
Very quickly it is clear to this inner circle of Jesus the Christ. Suddenly it would seem that all the healings, all of the parables make sense, and now they truly recognize the power of God in their presence. Suddenly in their surprise and awe all things are clear, Christ’s glory has filled the skies, and the people are now witnesses to it. It was something so glorious on such an ordinary day.
How frightening it is when we catch those momentary glimpses of God’s glory, whether it be in sunrises on Lake Michigan, sunsets on the Pacific, or in hearing a piece of music for the first time. Yet for all the dazzling glory of our God in human-flesh, what does it mean for us? You might say, ‘yeah so what’? What does this have to do with me, today in these pews, on this healing Sunday? Stay with me and I’ll show you.
I’d like to propose that this moment is Jesus’ confirmation, of sorts. It is a re-iteration of his own Baptism, that we celebrated 6 weeks back. It’s the same scenario; Jesus is praying and from prayer God appears and miracles happen. It is a confirmation of Jesus’ Status as the Son of God. God is stating publicly that YES, this is his Son. Jesus is the true inheritance of the entirety of Jewish History. He is the sum and critical event of all that has come before. But most important for us, today in listening and craving for God’s words, it is a confirmation of his teachings.
It is a confirmation of Christ’s ultimatum, the one criterion for following him. Hear those very words: ‘If any of you want to become my followers, let them deny themselves, and let them take up their cross daily and follow me’(Luke 9:23).
In that statement there are two fundamental features of our faith as followers of Jesus: self-denial and the radical welcome of the sufferers.
When I talk about self-denial and suffering, I’m not talking about Medieval images of supplicating and cowering penitents, nor am I talking about suffering in LaGuardia airport for three days—I can tell you something about that, from my experience this past week. Nor and I talking about the grand gestures of extreme self-sublimation, missionary trips and bequests of fortunes that are all wonderful and needed, but they are not the only way to the Perfect Kingdom. This phase, ‘let them deny themselves’ in the original language of our Bible is encapsulated in one word. An in all of our faith’s story it is used only three times— in Matthew, Mark, and Luke’s parallel teaching just before the Transfiguration. It is a type of action that is fully self-aware, self differentiated decision to go without. It’s a self-denial that accepts the idea that one’s actions can make a difference; it’s about going without so others can go with. It’s the little things; it’s the decision to go to the recycling center on Saturday morning when you would like nothing better than to stay in your warm family room and throw the recyclables in the trash. It’s taking the time to call a friend back that you haven’t spoken with in months, knowing that it’s going to be a very long conversation. It’s holding the door for someone, or saying thank you to the people who make our lives so much easier. It’s about going just a little further; just a little beyond your comfort level with a donation to a charity or your pledge to the church. It means deciding between was is right and what is easy. It’s about the little things that give humanity and dignity to all of God’s children, these actions usher in the Kingdom of God, with equal power and authority as the bright thunderclaps and white clouds of our God.
All of this is to say that our Lord and brother Jesus calls us to recognize the humanity of God’s children and to act boldly with that knowledge. Jesus calls us to recognize our own humility and he says: walk with me; I welcome you. For those who are humbled and suffering he says walk with me; I welcome you—even with all your own vices, baggage, shame, doubts, skepticisms and personal crosses. Pick them all up and start your Journey.
This Wednesday morning, our Ash Wednesday, when we wake up from bellies full of pancakes, sausages, jambalaya, gumbo, and chocolate and enter into a Holy Lent, let us walk with Jesus, let us deny ourselves and walk with him. And as you walk, I commend you to think about the little events, the little graces that transfigure the ordinary into the extraordinary. Walk with Him; enter with Jesus in his Exodus to Jerusalem, his Exodus to the Cross, and to our Salvation. Come be not afraid, deny yourself take, take up your cross and follow Jesus, follow the Life that is our salvation and the helping hand of all.
