|
|
|
|
Sunday, February 14, 1999 I am going to read from Matthew l7, the story of Jesus taking three of his closest friends up to a high place where his face and his clothes become shining bright. This episode is called the Transfiguration of Jesus. It's a strange happening as it consists of this brilliant shining from Jesus, then the appearance of two figures long dead whom the disciples identify as Moses and Elijah, and then these two speak to the three disciples and assure them that Jesus is the Son of God and should be listened to, which is to say followed and obeyed. All of this is odd, to say the least, for us because rarely does anyone's face and clothes shine brilliantly unless it's a model on the runway with a kind camera panning her; and we rarely see visions of the dead. Strange though this episode is, it appears in the gospels of Mark and Luke as well with the same vivid and mysterious details. That suggests to me that something most unusual did happen to convince some of his followers that Jesus really was from God and to suggest that the glory of his Transfiguration was a sign of his ultimate glory in the Resurrection. Perhaps to the three disciples and to those with whom the story was shared the Transfiguration was not so mysterious as it is to us modern hearers of the tale. Because the Jewish Christians were aware, as we may not be, that the shining of Jesus' face referenced the shining of Moses face in Exodus when he encounters the Living God on Sinai. Only the face of Moses is reported as shining, not his clothes. Perhaps the clothes of Jesus shined to evidence that although Jesus came after Moses, his authority and glory as the Son of God took precedence over the Law Giver. The response of the disciples to this manifestation of the glory of Jesus also seems an odd detail in the story: Peter asks permission of Jesus to build three huts. That would not occur to us. But this is a reference to the festival of booths or Succoth in which each year Jewish males were expected to live for a week in simple lean-to structures to remember the goodness of the harvest and the munificence of God in giving the growth of the earth. Such a dramatic event could logically have triggered this response of gratitude to build the huts on the mountain and celebrate with the luminous Jesus what Jews were required to do routinely every harvest. There is an important carry-through in this episode as it is reported here in Matthew and in its similar telling in Mark 9 and Luke 9, and that is what the disciples are to make and do with this transforming event for Jesus. Are they in some way themselves to be changed; are they to be touched and share in the glory of Jesus? Making huts is a start but what after that? And what is its' meaning for us: Are we invited to share in the glory of Jesus? If so, do we want to want really to have that kind of glory in our lives? Let us hear Matthew's account, reading from chapter l7, verses l-9: MATTHEW l7:l-9: "SIX DAYS LATER, JESUS TOOK WITH HIM PETER AND JAMES AND HIS BROTHER JOHN AND LED THEM UP A HIGH MOUNTAIN, BY THEMSELVES. AND HE WAS TRANSFIGURED BEFORE THEM, AND HIS FACE SHONE LIKE THE SUN, AND HIS CLOTHES BECAME DAZZLING WHITE. SUDDENLY THERE APPEARED TO THEM MOSES AND ELIJAH TALKING WITH HIM. THEN PETER SAID TO JESUS, 'LORD, IT IS GOOD FOR US TO BE HERE; IF YOU WISH I WILL MAKE THREE DWELLINGS HERE, ONE FOR YOU, ONE FOR MOSES AND ONE FOR ELIJAH. WHILE HE WAS STILL SPEAKING, SUDDENLY A BRIGHT CLOUD OVERSHADOWED THEM, AND FROM THE CLOUD A VOICE SAID, 'THIS IS MY SON, MY BELOVED; WITH HIM I AM WELL PLEASED; LISTEN TO HIM!' WHEN THE DISCIPLES HEARD THIS, THEY FELL TO THE GROUND AND WERE OVERCOME BY FEAR. BUT JESUS CAME AND TOUCHED THEM, SAYING 'GET UP AND DO NOT BE AFRAID.' AND WHEN THEY LOOKED UP, THEY SAW NO ONE EXCEPT JESUS HIMSELF ALONE. AS THEY WERE COMING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN, JESUS ORDERED THEM,'TELL NO ONE ABOUT THE VISION UNTIL AFTER THE SON OF MAN HAS BEEN RAISED FROM THE DEAD."
Now I want to you to invest some of your imagination in what comes next. I ask you to imagine that you are with me in a bar in the town of Nazareth about the year 33. Now you really have to assert your imagination to see me as John, the owner and bartender in this corner pub just down the street where the town's most noted and notorious family, that of Joseph and Mary and their controversial eldest son, Jesus, have lived for many years. "Hello, I'm John purveyor of Nazareth's finest wines, brewed hops and rose water not to mention our great olive and goat cheese snacks. I've enjoyed a growing trade in recent years largely because of the fame or infamy, depending on your point of view, about our most talked about local citizen, Jesus of Nazareth. I'm afraid a lot of my clientele are quite sceptical about Jesus. As each report of a healing or latest miracle circulates back to us elsewhere in the Galilee, there are plenty who dismiss the news: "He's crazy!" Or "he's a charlatan!" There are others who are less critical and remain neutral; they think he could be a genuine healer and a sound moral teacher, or maybe not. They say he could be insightful and especially spiritual or perhaps not. They must have more evidence to make a decision. There are a few who are friendlier. There's another rabbi who drops in sometimes and he's all for Jesus because he sees him as a good man trying to reform our faith from some of its' more stuffy and obstinate traits and bring us Jews more into this century. He says we need modern thinkers like Jesus to help us improve our Jewish society. And we need someone to bring the priests in Jerusalem back to the common people. The really entertaining times I've had, however, is when an eyewitness, someone who has actually met the guy, comes in for a drink and tells me how Jesus has effected his life. One night one of our young studs from a good and wealthy family came in and urgently asked for our best wine. "Quick, I need your finest drink," he said "because I've just met the most unusual man. He asked me about my beliefs and learned that I try to live the best life I can. I follow all the commandments scrupulously and I felt I was really on the same spiritual wave length with this rabbi. I knew he was truly helping me to get closer to God. He made me feel really good about who I am. I'm really delighted to have met him. I want to celebrate!" He gulped down his drink and asked for another and then he suddenly looked rather down in the dumps. "I thought you were celebrating your encounter with Jesus?" "I am" he said, "but he troubled me too… he told me to round up all my possessions, sell them, and give the money to the poor." "Well?" I said. "Well, I just can't do that!" I don't blame him for not being able to follow through, do you? One night three men came in and said they wanted to celebrate the greatest thing that ever happened to them. They had suffered from leprosy and said they had met this Jesus who had told them seven other lepers to go to Jerusalem, do their sacrifices and ablutions, and they would be healed. They had been there and done as told and now were cured and returning home. But they stopped for a drink and stood before me just like normal looking men. In truth, they looked better than some of my scruffier customers. They even bought a round for everyone in the place. They were three really happy guys. I wonder what they did when they got back home and had to start living all over. Women aren't allowed to be served at my bar but I'm happy to pour them a drink if they stay at the backdoor. One day a woman called to me for a refreshment. She also had run into this Jesus and she told me her life had been changed. She said this Jesus had told her about her entire life and I gathered she had lived quite a life up to this time with many of what you might call shady and illicit relationships. And yet as she thoughtfully sipped her lemonade she did not seem very happy. "What's wrong, lady? If this man said your past was forgiven and forgotten, what's there to be despondent about?" "He also said to me, "Go and sin no more." I have only one customer who is personally close to Jesus. He's a young fellow with my name, John, and calls himself a disciple of Jesus. John comes in every month or so and reports on new teachings or new interpretations of old teachings which the rabbi is giving. This young John is really convinced that this Jesus is our Messiah. He says the promise of God stops with Jesus and the new beginning for us all begins with Jesus. John has told me some really strange things about Jesus: that he insisted that John the Baptist baptise him and when it happened Jesus seemed unusually moved and inspired. More recently Jesus took John and two other close friends up Mount Tabor and there, according to John, Jesus' personage changed to a brilliance; and images of Moses and our prophet Elijah appeared to John, and then a mysterious cloud - reminded me of Moses on Sinai - and then a voice telling those there that this Jesus was the Messiah and he ought to be followed. Well, sure, if you had that kind of firsthand experience you might really believe in Jesus. But I haven't seen any glory as yet. The funny thing about this John character is that even though he believes this mountain top experience clinches the role of Jesus for him. He says he finds the true glory of Jesus elsewhere, not on the mountain, not in the cloud, not in the luminosity, but in the ordinary days he spends with Jesus. This John says that Jesus is glorified whenever "a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies" so that it may bear "much fruit." John says he knows that Jesus is from God because he is entirely self-giving. He says Jesus is even willing to die for us Jews. He said he hinted at that on the mount. Also John says when they were frightened out of their wits at that mysterious scene, Jesus came right to them like the most normal and natural person and touched them and told them to get up and not be afraid. John thinks that Jesus is releasing a lot of love into our society. Now, I'm not a very religious person so I don't know if we need radical change but I know we do need a lot more love. Maybe you have to be a bartender to see humanity at its' worst. Most of my customers aren't celebrating anything; they're just trying to drown their sorrows or their rage in brew. Even the pious ones are seething with jealousy or anger or self-pity. It's not enough for us Jews to hate the Samaritans and the pagans, we have to loathe other Jews. But if this John is right, then the glory of this Jesus is revealed in things that I would prefer to avoid like suffering and self-sacrifice. I don't see any glory for him if he gets himself in deep trouble with the authorities. Jesus had better play it cool and settle for popularity rather than glory. John says Jesus' glory is yet to be revealed. He says next week in Jerusalem God's will for Jesus shall be revealed. I suppose he means Jesus will be recognised by the hierarchy as a worthy rabbi; he surely can increase his popularity there because the credulous always love to proclaim a new charismatic personality as their leader. At any rate, glory is as glory does, I say. If this Jesus truly is someone special, someone with the shine of God on him, we're bound to see it not only in Him but in his followers and family. I never expect to see this Jesus in my bar; he seems to have shaken the dust off his sandals regarding his home town. But a lot of his friends are bound to drop in. I hope to see Glory walk in someday. Hi there, Glory, how's it going!
|
|
|
|
The Rev. Gene R.Preston14th Floor, Blk 36, Lower Baguio Villa Tel : 25516161 Fax: 25512114E-mail : gpreston@netvigator.com |
This page has been visited
times.
This page hosted by
Get your own Free
Homepage