The Introduction
Jesus and his three best friends climbed the mountain to pray, but Jesus did all the praying. The others napped, exhausted by the climb or bored by the task of praying. And because they slept, they very nearly missed the radiance of the Transfiguration. When they awoke, the glory still lingered around Jesus, not to mention his two unmistakable guests.
But they hardly saw the radiance before being overshadowed by a cloud. Where would you expect God to be found: in the brilliance or the shadow? Actually, God is revealed in both. God’s glory is seen in the light, but God’s voice is heard in the darkness. How often has this been true in our experience as well? We celebrate God’s nearness and blessing in the happy times, at the birth of a child or the marvel of a new snowball. But we can hear God’s voice ring out on a bleak city backstreet, and in the season of illness. When we insist on seeing God only in the good times, we find ourselves apparently abandoned when we need God’s comforting presence the most. God is with us, in the light and in the darkness.
Where do you find it easy to experience God’s presence in your world? How might God be present in the “absence,” while you’ve been looking elsewhere?
Seek God in the light: at sunrise and sunset, in candle’s glow, in the radiance of the faces you love. Listen for God’s word in darkness: in sickness and worry, when the path before you seems obscure or lonely.
The Scripture (Luke 9: 28b-31)
Jesus climbed the mountain to pray, taking Peter, John, and James along. While he was in prayer, the appearance of his face changed and his clothes became blinding white. At once two great men were there talking with him. They turned out to be Moses and Elijah – and what a glorious appearance they made! They talked over his exodus, the one Jesus was about to complete in Jerusalem.
The Story – When Words Fail
There’s a moment in the movie Stand By Me when the young hero, Gordie, is bestowed a gift from nature. He and his pals are on an adventure of the type that young boys are drawn to – following railroad tracks out of town and into the wilderness. When they stop to camp out they each take a “watch” during the night, keeping an eye out for dangers that might come their way. Near dawn, out of the deep woods comes a deer who stands just yards from our hero, staring him steadily in the eye before moving on. Gordie, as narrator, recalls that he never told anyone about that special moment of the trip, not even to his best friend.
There are certain moments of depth in our lives that leave us speechless. It might be an experience in nature, a creative moment producing or appreciating great art, or an experience of closeness with a loved one when words can’t suffice. Sometimes it’s literally a mountaintop moment such as the one Peter, James, and John experience when they saw Jesus transformed in glory and shining like the sun.
Whatever the initial occasion, it pays to hold such memories safe in our hearts, for they can nurture us in difficult times of confusion, doubt, and trial and carry us through our lives.
The Reflection
In a dream a man was told where there was treasure hidden in a nearby castle under a blue stone. The dream was quite clear and he could remember every bit of it. Yet he did not bother even to see if the stone was there in the castle. He told his dream to a friend. His friend went immediately and found a great treasure under the blue stone. He became very rich and although he was generous toward his friend, his friend realised that because he had not bothered when an opportunity was offered him he had missed out in a big way.
How often do we miss out on the opportunities of life because we do not take up the promises of our God?
The Commissioning
Jesus chose to take the lonely, dangerous road to Jerusalem.
We identify our reluctance to take the unknown path.
Jesus was pressured by the disciples to stay away from harm’s way.
We identify our temptation to avoid the path of right and justice.
Jesus knew the powerful ones were conspiring to silence him.
We identify our feelings of fear, when we are weak and vulnerable.
Jesus believed that in facing death, God would be with him.
We identify our call to faith, when facing the trials and hard places of life.
Amen.
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