Today's Scripture Readings
2 Kings 2:1-2 (NRSV)
Now when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here; for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel. The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that today the LORD will take your master away from you?" And he said, "Yes, I know; keep silent."
Elijah said to him, "Elisha, stay here; for the LORD has sent me to Jericho." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they came to Jericho. The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that today the LORD will take your master away from you?" And he answered, "Yes, I know; be silent."
Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here; for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So the two of them went on. Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.
When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you." Elisha said, "Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit." He responded, "You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not." As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha kept watching and crying out, "Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
Psalm 50 (BCP., p.654)
2 Corinthians 4:3-6 (NRSV)
Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Mark 9:2-9 (NRSV)
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!" Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.
As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
Blog Reflection
Well, here we are. The Last Sunday after the Epiphany. Lent begins in three days. Since the First Sunday after the Epiphany at Jesus' Baptism, we have followed Him through the calling of those first disciples, casting out demons and healing the sick. Every year just before Ash Wednesday, the Church takes us to the mountain top with Peter, James and John as they experience Jesus' Transfiguration. Just as with Christ the King Sunday before Advent begins, the Sunday prior to beginning Lent takes us to one of those glorious moments in Jesus' life and ministry. The Transfiguration is also understood traditionally as an event within the Season of Epiphany. God is manifested in Jesus in a luminous image of His glorified body after the Resurrection. When Pope John Paul II added the Luminous Mysteries to the Dominican Rosary, the Transfiguration is one of the mysteries to meditate upon.
The Transfiguration is symbolic of what contemplative prayer is about. Jesus is so in touch with who God is to Him, that He experiences the fullness of God's perspective of Him. At this moment, Jesus makes preparation to walk down the mountain and make His way to Jerusalem where He will face His death and resurrection. I believe that in the Transfiguration, Jesus receives from Moses and Elijah the connection of who He is and what He is about to do with the history of God's People. Peter, James and John are so mystified by what takes place on the mountain, that they are terrified. While these three disciples are following Jesus and learning from Him, they have not yet given themselves completely to the sacrificial work that God is doing in Jesus. In this experience they witness for themselves the full revelation of Jesus so marvelously, that it fills them with a joy that makes them want to stay there with Him. In that moment, their fear gave way to faith and they were able to hear God tell them to listen intentionally to Jesus from their hearts. Jesus was transfigured, while the lives of Peter, James and John experienced transformation.
The last thing that Jesus said to the disciples seems rash if taken at face value. Jesus is challenging them and us, to do more that just talk. We are encouraged to live what we experience as we know God more deeply in our prayer and meditation and translate it into how we live. As with any of the Biblical mysteries of Jesus' life cannot be explained or comprehended in our limited human minds. But, they can be lived into reality as we listen to Jesus within our own hearts and respond in faith. To respond in faith is our consent that we do not know how God wants to be transparent through us; but, we are willing to put one foot in front of the other in trust that God will take us the rest of the way. It means allowing the Holy Spirit to widen those closed up spaces within our whole selves, so that we can face the prejudices that are there as they are, and seek healing and reconciliation with God and our neighbor.
This past week, we saw an outrageous example of how the Name of Jesus Christ is profaned in the State of Alabama. As the freedom to marry became legal with the blessing of the Supreme Court, we saw several judges misuse their power to determine that their understanding of the Christian faith will be what everyone else observes. By the way they used their judicial power the judges inflicted spiritual malpractice and doctrinal abuse on LGBTQ people and those who support their right to marry the person they love. Jesus came not to decide who is saved and who will be damned. Jesus came and made God's unconditional and all-inclusive love transparent through how He lived His life. In the life, death, resurrection and transfiguration, Jesus gave a human face to God, as God became visible in transforming our human nature through a relationship of experiencing union with God in all aspects of our life. Jesus upholds and preserves the dignity of every human person in His own divine reality and impacts humankind for all ages, races, sexual orientations, genders, religions, etc. We owe Jesus and our neighbor our purest love, devotion and humility to do no less than what He did.
As we prepare to begin Lent this week, may we recommit ourselves to listening more intentionally to God within our hearts and respond by serving those in need around us.
Amen.
Prayers
O God, who before the passion of your only-begotten Son
revealed his glory upon the holy mountain: Grant to us that
we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be
strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his
likeness from glory to glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever. Amen. (Collect for the Last Sunday After The Epiphany,The Book of Common Prayer, p.217)
Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in this
land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as
their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to
eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors. Strengthen those
who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law
and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of
us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this land; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Oppressed, The Book of Common Prayer, p.826).
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