Glimpses of Glory
Transfiguration – Narrative Lectionary 2
February 7, 2014
Grace, Mankato, MN
Mark 8.27-9.8
Today’s lesson provides an assault on the disciples’ senses and I invite you to imagine with me what that might have been like. Their ears got a good workout as Jesus first challenges them to hear what he has to say about who he is, what he has come to do and what they must do in response. Then, to Peter, James and John there is God’s “Listen to him!” I can envision that both Jesus’ words and God’s words left a funny taste in their mouths, perhaps even bitter. Then their bodies get going as Jesus first shoved Peter and, metaphorically, the rest of them behind him and then God shoved the big three to the ground with his over the top appearance.
But it’s their sense of sight that really intrigues me this week, probably because sight is something I don’t take for granted. I’ve had glasses since I was a young boy, I’ve scratched both corneas, which caused me excruciating pain, and I have had the typical progression of bifocals and trifocals. That’s not to mention the male affliction of not being able to find something that is right in front of me. The twelve, and then Peter, James and John, are given some glimpses of Jesus and they almost miss it. For a few brief moments, the veil is removed and Jesus is shown brilliantly and radiantly white.
Had this happened today rather than 2,000 years ago, instead of building booths Peter would have insisted on a selfie with Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Frankly, I think most of us would focus on the same thing, this incredibly powerful vision of Jesus and God. Fortunately, the gospel writer Mark and the Narrative Lectionary folk understand framing and perspective when reading a given story. So we are to put all of these vignettes from today into conversation with each other: the confession of Jesus as the Christ or Messiah; the prediction of Jesus’ suffering, rejection, death and resurrection; and the declaration that anyone who wishes to be Jesus’ disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow him.
People are often fond of saying, “I’ll believe it when I see it,” but people also say, “You can’t believe everything you see (or read).” The modern day equivalent may be that, just because it’s on the internet, doesn’t make it true. The problem we have, and the one faced by Peter, is that we try to fit new experiences into preconceived categories. However, Mark wants to open us up to the new thing Jesus is doing in us. One of those things is to look for new ways to see God working to bring life to us and our world.
We tend to look for God in the big Cecil B. DeMille experiences in life, such as the Transfiguration. Now, God can and does show up there, but I think that God is mostly in the places we don’t expect, but nonetheless need. Most often, God meets us in the vulnerability of someone who admits they are powerless in their addiction. God meets us in the suffering of chronic pain. Or God meets us in the loss of our community’s downtown area to fire. God shows us that true life isn’t found in the packaged product we see on TV, Twitter, Facebook, the Red Carpet or other such places. As David Lose said, true life is not something that can’t be earned or won or bought. Like love, true life can only be given away and the more you give it away, the more you have it.
The disciples got glimpses of true life as they got glimpses of Jesus’ glory, though they didn’t realize it at the time. This past week, I’ve been wondering what it means to deny self, take up our cross and live as a follower of Jesus. I’ve looked for glimpses of God’s glory and here’s what I’ve seen. As Penny Banwart and I led two nursing home worship services, I saw a glimpse of God’s glory in younger people tenderly caring for older people. This Wednesday I got a glimpse of God’s glory as some Saved by Grace confirmation students expressed appreciation for Joyce Nelson’s dessert, which she and others prepared lovingly prepared for them and others. I have seen glimpses of God’s glory in Randy Long, Marlene Roede, John Odegard and others working hard to help all of us engage more deeply in ministry here. I’ve seen glimpses of God’s glory in our annual meeting as you as a congregation agreeing to give yourselves away through mission and ministry, making a commitment to this community and the greater world.
As we prepare to enter Lent, I invite you to catch glimpses of God’s working and to join in the journey to the cross, where we give ourselves away. Amen.
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