THE TRANSFIGURATION

Ex. 34:29-35; Lk. 9:28-36]

 

Peace to all of you who are in Christ. Amen.

 

We add another reading to our lectionary this morning, also from Paul, from the letter to the Philippians, chapter two:

 

…Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God,
    did not regard equality with God
    as something to be exploited,
    but emptied himself,
    taking the form of a slave,
    being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
    he humbled himself
    and became obedient to the point of death—
    even death on a cross.

(Philip. 2:5-8)

 

This passage from Philippians offers us an insight into the extraordinary event we’ve just read about, the Transfiguration. It helps us to frame it. Self-emptying and metamorphosis, giving oneself and bringing and showing change complementing each other.

In Greek, the verb μεταμορφόω, metamorphosis, doesn’t just mean ‘to change, to transfigure’ but also ‘to change in a way that the outward appearance matches exactly with the inward reality’.

Here we link the Gospel text back to our text in Philippians: Jesus’ divine nature manifesting itself through his changed, transfigured human bodily appearance; the Son of Man from the book of Daniel becomes “dazzling white” (Dan. 7).

In Jesus, metamorphosis, transfiguration, is connected to his divinity and humanity manifesting together, in his son-hood, but also in his emptying, his redemptive work and his service to the world. In Jesus, we are given an example of how to manifest being human in a different way.

 

Sarah Heinrich, a US New Testament scholar, has pointed out that for many Jews, Moses and Elijah, two figures whose passing was shrouded in mystery, were believed to be God's precursors of the end times.

Because Elijah had been swooped up into heaven (ii Kgs. 2) and Moses' grave was never discovered (Deut. 34), God has the option to send them back to earth to inform us that God's reign would soon be ushered in.

It’s no coincidence that these two, Lawgiver and Prophet, appear with Jesus on a mountain -we recall God appearing to Moses on Mount Sinai (Ex. 19).

And it’s more than just the sense of sight, also the sense of hearing is called on. We hear God’s voice for the second time, affirming Jesus' Sonship -the first time was at Jesus' baptism:

‘Listen to him, listen to my Son.’

Jesus now becomes the divinely appointed precursor of the turn of the age, the change, the transfiguration of the world.

And the world most certainly is in need of change for the better, a change of its outward representation to better and more truthfully reflect its created inward beauty and wholesomeness and purpose.

 

Evil, war and death change you; peace, hope and love transform you. The difference between the two is seemingly a very subtle one, but it’s there.

We here, in North-Western Europe are mostly unaffected by the ravages of armed conflict: we know about it, we don’t live through it. We have the option to literally switch it off. Perhaps it’s because of our history that we like to pretend it has nothing to do with us: perhaps we commemorate on certain days, but we prefer not to dwell on it.

People caught up in conflict, poverty, natural disasters, etc. must feel that their world, their lives will never be the same again, changed forever for the worse, broken, cut short even if they physically survive. Afterwards, their lives are irreparably turned upside down. It must have felt or still feel like the end of the world for them.

When it comes to war, economic distress, destruction of habitat, we here in North-Western Europe are mostly detached, often even uninterested. These things are ‘just’ another news item, quickly forgotten or easily ignored. 

Or do we watch, captivated by the reality-TV extravaganza of live bombings, tornadoes or  mudslides ripping through communities, families being evicted, separated and deported.

Or do we watch, prayerfully looking out for that inkling of hope: flowers blooming through the rubble, a soldier adopting a stray cat, brothers finding each other against all hope, thinking each was dead.

 

‘Listen to him, listen to my Son and be transformed, he will transform the world.’

  

According to some Jewish predictions and according to the prophet Zechariah (14:16-21), the "Day of the Lord" will come during Sukkoth, the Festival of Booths or Tabernacles.

This pilgrim-festival instituted by the Law of Moses was considered a potential timing for God taking control of creation, and the beginning of the age of shalom: wholeness, justice and peace on “the Lord’s holy mountain.”

As such, Peter's suggestion to built tree dwellings or tents isn’t random; he thinks Moses, Elijah and Jesus need to construct their own booths for the celebration and the coming end times.

 

Moses to Elijah to Daniel and Zechariah to Paul, all the way to Luke, the author of this morning’s Good News, and including many more persons of faith, we continuously are encouraged to see God’s way in the world and in our own personal lives, as well as the promise of God's future for all of us, God’s continuous gift of transformation, when the veil will be lifted and the voice will no longer be hidden from sight by a cloud, but we will see God face to face.

Christians are called to be a transfigured and transfiguring people. 

Sarah Heinrich writes:

 

 “Perhaps we have to trust the glimpse that others have had: all the twelve, for instance, were not part of this experience and Peter, James, and John did not talk about it until after the resurrection [sic]. But the glimpse, even of others, is a gift to all of us from God.”

 

The three disciples witnessed an extraordinary event, and what’s surprising is that they

weren’t shocked or afraid -at least, Luke doesn’t mention it- not until the cloud

overshadowed them. In fact, we know that Peter was quick to asses the situation.

He saw what was happening, trusted in his Master and listened to God’s voice.

 

‘Listen to my Son, he will change you for the better, make you whole again, repair the

damage of inner and outer conflict, and restore creation to its intended purpose.’

 

In the future, at the Day of the Lord, we too will receive a transfigured and glorified body,

like the glorified body of Christ resurrected. Our outward appearance will reflect our inward

reality of a people eternally dwelling in the presence of God.

 

In the meantime, flawed and imperfect though we are, we’re called to listen to Jesus’

voice and share the Good News of hope, faith and love with a world in desperate need of

that transformative, transfiguring word.

Self-emptying and metamorphosis complementing each other, we too are called to follow Christ’s example, to be change and bring about change. To show how humanity can truly reflect outwardly what it inwardly always was supposed to be.