“Two Mountains”: Sermon 2/18/2007
Pastor David Nicol
Exodus 34:29-35 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 Luke 9:28-36
There are actually three mountains in our stories today, but two in the Gospel. Did you catch them? If not, that’s fine, Peter missed the second one too. We will come back to that, but the third mountain—Sinai—helps us understand the rest of the story. You see, if Peter had understood the story of Moses and Mount Sinai better, he might not have said what he did, because Jesus could no more stay on the mountain of the Transfiguration than Moses could stay on Mount Sinai.
Moses went to the mountaintop to talk to God, and on the mountaintop he received the law, the Torah. In itself, Moses encounter with God was powerful and transformational—so powerful that it literally transfigured him—transformed his appearance from that of an ordinary person, to that of a radiant, glowing being. Now, I’ve heard folks say “you’re glowing,” when someone has a reason to express great joy. And yes, joy transfigures us, but nothing like Moses. The Exodus account tells us that Moses face shone with light, so much so that he put on a veil, so that as the glory of God lessened, the people would not see it and lose faith. As he continued to receive the Torah from God, he was continually transfigured, but Moses transfiguration was temporary—it faded with time—and it only served a purpose when it helped him communicate God’s message to God’s people. The people could not receive the law unless Moses left the mountaintop.
Just as Moses continually returned to the top of the mountain, Jesus visited mountaintops to pray over and over again, sometimes with a large group of people, sometimes with the twelve, and sometimes with his closest disciples. Today’s story falls in the last category. Jesus visited the mountaintop with Peter, John and James to pray, and on the mountaintop, Jesus met with Moses and Elijah—who represent the law and the prophets. Luke tells us that they talked about what Jesus would do in Jerusalem, and that in the context of Jesus meeting with the law and the prophets, the disciples saw his glory. Moses face shone when he met with God, but compared to Jesus, that was only limited splendor. On the mountain of the Transfiguration, Jesus shone – and not just his skin, but his clothing as well, which became a dazzling white. In the Transfiguration, Jesus glory was revealed—the glory of his divinity shone through his humanity.
Even so, Peter missed the point. In Luke’s Gospel (and in the others as well), this shouldn’t surprise us—Peter misses the point all time. Some have said that in Luke, Peter only takes his foot out of his mouth long enough to insert the other. Peter’s response to the Transfiguration fits that pattern perfectly. Barely awake, Peter almost gets it right, and shouts “It’s good we are here!” If only he’d had the sense to stop there…but he didn’t. In the next breath, Peter succeeds in missing the point. “It’s good we are here! We should build three tents here on the mountain! One for you Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah!”
As Luke tells us, Peter didn’t really know what he was saying, because while seeing Jesus with Moses and Elijah was good, they could not stay on the mountain. Jesus, Moses and Elijah knew they couldn’t stay; they were speaking of the other mountain already. But Peter needed help to understand. A cloud surrounded them, and a voice from the cloud said “This is my beloved Son, listen to him!”
Alone, the Transfiguration was good: good for Jesus, good for Peter, John and James to see, and even good for us to hear—but it only becomes truly good because Jesus came down from the mountain. Moses and Elijah knew that! We could easily miss the point, just like Peter, if we fail to see this story in light of two mountains. As Paul told the Corinthians, we are being transfigured so that the glory of God in Christ might shine through us. And unlike Moses, the light that shines from us should not be veiled. The light faded from Moses, but in us it increases as we are made Holy, and drawn closer to Jesus, day by day! That transfiguration, that transformation, is only possible because Jesus came down from the mountain.
On Wednesday we begin the Lenten discipline—preparing for the holiest three days of the Christian year. During these forty days, we strive to see each other as we really are, and to resume those disciplines of discipleship we have let lapse during the last year, because when Lent ends, we reach the story of the other mountain. Our transfiguration depends on the other mountain, not on the mountain of Transfiguration. Our transformation depends not on Jesus transfiguration, but on his crucifixion. Today, we remember that Jesus revealed his glory in the Old Creation. At the other end of Lent we will remember that the mountain of Calvary leads to Easter, the Resurrection of Our Lord and the New Creation!
There is no mistake that the Transfiguration leads us into Lent, just as it leads us away from Epiphany. We are not called to go to the mountaintop and see Jesus with Moses and Elijah. We are not called to be Transfiguration people. We are called to be Easter people! It is still good to encounter God on the tops of mountains, but in light of Calvary, we can see what Peter could not, that staying on top of the mountain—even if it’s good for today—is not nearly enough! Because of Calvary, we have been empowered to be the Body of Christ to the world. Because of Calvary, we are called to serve as instruments of peace, mercy, healing and transformation—just as Jesus’ example taught us to do.
So let’s take up our Lenten disciplines in light of both mountains—knowing that Jesus came to fulfill the law and the prophets. That fulfillment came from Calvary, the second mountain, not from the first. Like Jesus, we glow, we are transfigured, because that fulfillment came not in a glowing face or radiant clothes, but in a broken body, stripped, bloody, and without outward dignity. For us, both resurrection and transfiguration leads through the cross. New life leads through the cross. As we fast, as we pray, as we commit to search scripture, offer faith to others, and love others in new ways this Lent, let’s remember whose body we are, and into whose image we are being formed. The Christian life is about following even to Calvary, not to the mountaintop high… Are you willing to follow today?
Exodus 34:29-35 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 Luke 9:28-36
There are actually three mountains in our stories today, but two in the Gospel. Did you catch them? If not, that’s fine, Peter missed the second one too. We will come back to that, but the third mountain—Sinai—helps us understand the rest of the story. You see, if Peter had understood the story of Moses and Mount Sinai better, he might not have said what he did, because Jesus could no more stay on the mountain of the Transfiguration than Moses could stay on Mount Sinai.
Moses went to the mountaintop to talk to God, and on the mountaintop he received the law, the Torah. In itself, Moses encounter with God was powerful and transformational—so powerful that it literally transfigured him—transformed his appearance from that of an ordinary person, to that of a radiant, glowing being. Now, I’ve heard folks say “you’re glowing,” when someone has a reason to express great joy. And yes, joy transfigures us, but nothing like Moses. The Exodus account tells us that Moses face shone with light, so much so that he put on a veil, so that as the glory of God lessened, the people would not see it and lose faith. As he continued to receive the Torah from God, he was continually transfigured, but Moses transfiguration was temporary—it faded with time—and it only served a purpose when it helped him communicate God’s message to God’s people. The people could not receive the law unless Moses left the mountaintop.
Just as Moses continually returned to the top of the mountain, Jesus visited mountaintops to pray over and over again, sometimes with a large group of people, sometimes with the twelve, and sometimes with his closest disciples. Today’s story falls in the last category. Jesus visited the mountaintop with Peter, John and James to pray, and on the mountaintop, Jesus met with Moses and Elijah—who represent the law and the prophets. Luke tells us that they talked about what Jesus would do in Jerusalem, and that in the context of Jesus meeting with the law and the prophets, the disciples saw his glory. Moses face shone when he met with God, but compared to Jesus, that was only limited splendor. On the mountain of the Transfiguration, Jesus shone – and not just his skin, but his clothing as well, which became a dazzling white. In the Transfiguration, Jesus glory was revealed—the glory of his divinity shone through his humanity.
Even so, Peter missed the point. In Luke’s Gospel (and in the others as well), this shouldn’t surprise us—Peter misses the point all time. Some have said that in Luke, Peter only takes his foot out of his mouth long enough to insert the other. Peter’s response to the Transfiguration fits that pattern perfectly. Barely awake, Peter almost gets it right, and shouts “It’s good we are here!” If only he’d had the sense to stop there…but he didn’t. In the next breath, Peter succeeds in missing the point. “It’s good we are here! We should build three tents here on the mountain! One for you Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah!”
As Luke tells us, Peter didn’t really know what he was saying, because while seeing Jesus with Moses and Elijah was good, they could not stay on the mountain. Jesus, Moses and Elijah knew they couldn’t stay; they were speaking of the other mountain already. But Peter needed help to understand. A cloud surrounded them, and a voice from the cloud said “This is my beloved Son, listen to him!”
Alone, the Transfiguration was good: good for Jesus, good for Peter, John and James to see, and even good for us to hear—but it only becomes truly good because Jesus came down from the mountain. Moses and Elijah knew that! We could easily miss the point, just like Peter, if we fail to see this story in light of two mountains. As Paul told the Corinthians, we are being transfigured so that the glory of God in Christ might shine through us. And unlike Moses, the light that shines from us should not be veiled. The light faded from Moses, but in us it increases as we are made Holy, and drawn closer to Jesus, day by day! That transfiguration, that transformation, is only possible because Jesus came down from the mountain.
On Wednesday we begin the Lenten discipline—preparing for the holiest three days of the Christian year. During these forty days, we strive to see each other as we really are, and to resume those disciplines of discipleship we have let lapse during the last year, because when Lent ends, we reach the story of the other mountain. Our transfiguration depends on the other mountain, not on the mountain of Transfiguration. Our transformation depends not on Jesus transfiguration, but on his crucifixion. Today, we remember that Jesus revealed his glory in the Old Creation. At the other end of Lent we will remember that the mountain of Calvary leads to Easter, the Resurrection of Our Lord and the New Creation!
There is no mistake that the Transfiguration leads us into Lent, just as it leads us away from Epiphany. We are not called to go to the mountaintop and see Jesus with Moses and Elijah. We are not called to be Transfiguration people. We are called to be Easter people! It is still good to encounter God on the tops of mountains, but in light of Calvary, we can see what Peter could not, that staying on top of the mountain—even if it’s good for today—is not nearly enough! Because of Calvary, we have been empowered to be the Body of Christ to the world. Because of Calvary, we are called to serve as instruments of peace, mercy, healing and transformation—just as Jesus’ example taught us to do.
So let’s take up our Lenten disciplines in light of both mountains—knowing that Jesus came to fulfill the law and the prophets. That fulfillment came from Calvary, the second mountain, not from the first. Like Jesus, we glow, we are transfigured, because that fulfillment came not in a glowing face or radiant clothes, but in a broken body, stripped, bloody, and without outward dignity. For us, both resurrection and transfiguration leads through the cross. New life leads through the cross. As we fast, as we pray, as we commit to search scripture, offer faith to others, and love others in new ways this Lent, let’s remember whose body we are, and into whose image we are being formed. The Christian life is about following even to Calvary, not to the mountaintop high… Are you willing to follow today?
Labels: 2007, Epiphany, Sermons, Transfiguration
posted by Rev. David Nicol at 8:43 AM
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