Mark 9:2-9
Transfiguration of Our Lord
February 19, 2012
“This is My Son, The Beloved…Listen to Him!”
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, grace and peace to you from God the Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. Amen
This reading from the middle of the gospel of Mark is VERY interesting.
It’s interesting because so much of this story doesn’t make sense to us on a first read through.
We don’t get it. We have a hard time understanding what is going on in this scene with Jesus, Peter, James, John and Moses and Elijah.
Maybe this image will help to frame this for us.
If you look at the words that God spoke in this scene, you can get a clue to what the gospel writer, Mark, is up to.
God said on that mountain, “This is my Son, the Beloved, listen to him!”
That is interesting, and where have we heard that before in this gospel?
At the beginning! Right! At Jesus’ baptism, the voice of God spoke these words, “You are my Son, the Beloved, in you I am well-pleased.”
Now, it’s a little different, but it’s VERY similar and these two pieces frame up this gospel.
And there is another instance where similar words are used, and we find them at the other end of the gospel…near the end.
After Jesus had been crucified and he had breathed his last, we hear the Roman Centurion say these words, “Truly this man was God’s Son.”
Isn’t that interesting…3 instances of where this term “God’s Son” was used.
It’s as if the gospel writer Mark wanted to frame the gospel in this way.
Maybe this image will help.
Bookends, where the baptism and the crucifixion are the ends and the hinge is the Transfiguration.
Can you see it?
It’s important to see this because it can help us to see and understand what is happening in Jesus’ life and what it means for us.
So the Transfiguration is the hinge, the pivot point of the gospel of Mark.
Jesus had his ministry going, but it was at this point that he started his walk to Jerusalem, where he would truly show how he was the Son of God…in the cross.
But what’s the point? Why are we reading this scene now at the end of the season of Epiphany?
Well, Epiphany means “revealing” and it is also the season of light, so here we are at the last Sunday of Epiphany remembering one of the biggest scenes where the “light of the world” is shown.
Jesus was transfigured on that mountain…He was changed. His appearance was transformed into dazzling white and light.
I’m sure that the disciples had to avert their eyes. It probably hurt to look at him!
It makes me think of a line from a song “My future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades!”
We hear this story now because of that…Jesus showing his inner light of who he was and hearing God’s voice confirm it… “This is my Son, the Beloved, listen to him!”
We are hearing this reading now too because we are about to begin the season of Lent…and from this point on in the gospel of Mark Jesus is resolutely making his way to Jerusalem, to the cross.
And that is what our Lenten journey is about as well.
But again, what’s the point? All of this stuff about bookends and hinges and “God’s Son” is all good stuff, but what can we learn from this story of Jesus, dazzling white on a mountain and God’s voice?
The thing that jumps into my mind is the last part of what God’s voice said… “Listen to Him!”
What does it mean to “Listen to Him!”? What does that mean for our lives right now?
Have you ever thought about that question?
I have! I’ve wondered what it exactly means and looks like to “Listen” to Jesus.
I know that hearing and listening are two very different things…any parent can tell you what that is all about.
We all know pretty much what Jesus says…what he teaches and what he was all about, don’t we?
We do constantly need to be reminded of what that is all about, about loving and caring and having peace and forgiveness…But we KNOW it, don’t we? We KNOW that those things are good and true and when we do them great things happen.
But knowing and doing are as different as hearing and listening, aren’t they?
So, again what does it mean to “Listen to Him!”
I’ve thought of a pretty simple way of seeing what this might look like.
What season are we in? Epiphany! And what is Epiphany the season of? LIGHT!
And what IS that light?
You’ve just heard about it from the Transfiguration.
On that mountain, Jesus’ true nature shown…He himself was light.
Jesus is the light of the World.
And what does it mean to listen to the light of the world?
What does that look like?
First I have to shine the light in your faces, so that you know what it feels like to have the light in your face.
Are you the light? NO!
We are supposed to listen to the light! And how do we do that?
We are mirrors!
For us today who call ourselves followers of Jesus, we are to listen to the light of the world , Jesus by reflecting that light.
I’ve heard this mission statement for some churches: Reflect Christ.
Ours is pretty similar…We’re here to share God’s love.
We’re here to reflect the light of the world Jesus…to share the love of God that we know through Jesus with those we meet.
That is what it means to “Listen to him”…
It means that we, as followers of Jesus, are strengthened and enabled and sent into the world to reflect the goodness and truth and the love and the care and compassion and peace and forgiveness that we have been given by the light of the world, Jesus.
Now, I know that there are tons of images for followers of Jesus out there.
But I’m hoping that you can think on this one…a mirror.
We ourselves are not the light, but we trust the light.
We ourselves don’t have the strength and the power of the light, but we can be tools to bring that light to others with our words, thoughts and actions.
We ourselves don’t fully understand what the light is, but we can explain to others what we do know…that in the light of Christ there is life, truth, love and goodness.
So, what are you going to do with this light that was shown on that mountain top that day?
You’re here today because you know something of the light of Christ.
You know of the forgiveness and the love and the hope and the peace that comes from Jesus.
May you be a mirror to those you meet this week…reflecting the light of Christ into their lives.
Focus:
Be a mirror of Christ this week…and always.
Prayer. Amen
