Today is the Last Sunday after the Epiphany. The whole season of Epiphany is based in revelation and manifestation. From the wisemen to his baptism to the calling of the disciples to the demons recognizing who he is, this season is designed to open our eyes to who Jesus is and how we can manifest him in our own lives. And it culminates today with the Transfiguration.
In this story today Jesus takes three of his closest disciples up the mountain where he is transfigured, meets with Moses and Elijah, everyone is overshadowed by a cloud, and they all hear a voice saying, “This is my Son, listen to him.” My question in all of this has always been, “How did they know it was Moses and Elijah?” because I’m sure Moses didn’t look like Charlton Heston in The Ten Commandments. Maybe they each had one of those, “HELLO! My Name Is:_________” stickers attached to their clothes. But probably not.
Either way, Jesus is seen talking with Moses and Elijah, and Peter interrupts to say, “This is great! We should put up three tents, one for each of you.” I don’t know how long Peter thought they were going to be there, but however long he thought, he was wrong.
There are two things in particular I want you to notice about this story.
The first is that you can’t stay on the mountain. I’m sure we’ve all had at least one mountaintop experience; an experience so holy, so moving, so special that we say, “If only I could stay here for ever.” But reality is that we can’t stay there for ever.
We don’t hear this in today’s gospel passage, but if you read the rest of the chapter, it’s clear that Jesus has work to do. First he heals a young boy from an unclean spirit. Following that he talks to his disciples about being a childlike servant to everyone. The chapter closes out with a discussion on the dangers of exclusivity and a warning about being a stumbling block to others.
The message is clear – we cannot stay in a safe, comfortable place worshiping the Lord. We need to get off our mountain, proclaim the good news, and serve those in need.
The second is Jesus’ connection to Moses and Elijah. Moses was the great lawgiver. He also went up a mountain, was overshadowed by the holy presence of God, and experienced a transfiguration of sorts as he had to cover his face before the Israelites. Elijah is counted as the greatest prophet of Israel, remaining faithful to God while everyone else deserted him in favor of popular public opinion. Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the Prophets.
For us Christians, we hold that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. In Matthew, Jesus says he came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. In both Matthew and Luke, he says the Law and the Prophets were until John came, and he is now here to proclaim the good news of the kingdom. In Luke, he says that he is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. And in John, Philip declares to Nathanael that they have found him of whom the Law and the Prophets wrote. For us, Jesus is intimately connected to the Law and the Prophets.
The mistake Peter made – and it’s easy to say this with 2000 years of hindsight – but the mistake Peter made was in keeping them separate. “Let’s make three dwelling places – one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
On one hand, this makes perfect sense. Three of the greatest figures of the faith are gathered together, so why not offer to give each of them their own VIP tent? For us Christians, however, this is the wrong way to look at it.
As I said earlier, for us Christians, we hold that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. In him and through him all things are fulfilled. The embodiment of the Law and the Prophets is found in him and through him. He is inseparable from the rest. This is why making three tents is the wrong approach – because Christ contains all.
What does Peter’s response to seeing Jesus, Moses, and Elijah on the mountain and wanting to build three tents have to do with us today? Just this: we are still behaving like Peter.
Like Peter wanted to separate Jesus from Moses and Elijah, from the Law and the Prophets, we also tend to separate Jesus from particular areas of our lives.
On Sunday we proclaim Jesus as part of the Triune Godhead. We state that through him all things were made. Our baptismal promises and covenant state that we will renounce Satan, evil powers that corrupt and destroy God’s creation, and sinful desires that separate us from God. We promise to continue in the life of the Church, repent, to seek and serve Christ in all persons, and to strive for justice and peace.
And then, Monday through Saturday, we slander those whom we dislike, excuse our own bad behavior because “they” deserved it, pursue our own desires over the needs of others, and generally do what we want because all that Sunday stuff really isn’t applicable in the world today.
We do exactly what Peter wanted to do – we put Jesus in a separate tent from the rest of our lives. We compartmentalize Sunday behavior and expectations from how we live Monday through Saturday.
The story of the Transfiguration isn’t just about seeing the glory of Jesus revealed up on a mountain. The story of the Transfiguration is also about us. How are we being changed? How are our lives being transfigured in such a way that we reveal Christ to the world around us? Are we listening to Jesus on a daily basis, or are we only listening on Sundays?
Jesus is the Beloved Son, Second Person of the Trinity – listen to him, every day.
Amen.
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