Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory – February 14, 2021

II Kings 2:1-12, Luke 9:28-36
February 14, 2021

“Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory!”  That’s what I’ve entitled this sermon.  It is, of course, from the Battle Hymn of the Republic.  Maybe we should have sung that this morning – or at least played it.  Anyway, that’s what I thought about when I read this story.  Because Luke tells us that Jesus was on the mountaintop, and he was changed in appearance, and then he says, “Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, and when they awakened they saw his glory.”

This is the story of the Transfiguration.  This is the next in a long series of miraculous things the disciples had witnessed.  It’s now later in Jesus’ ministry, and by now they had seen healing miracles, the casting out of demons, the feeding of the 5,000, and the calming of the sea.  And they had been amazed, along with the crowds, at the way Jesus taught “with authority.”  And the common refrain in all of those stories is the question, “Who is this man?”  “We have never seen anything like this!”

So this today is Jesus showing them yet another miracle, yet another proof of who he was.  And I think they needed that from time to time.  I’m sure there were times they had doubts, just like we do.  And it was important that they had these signs so they could know for sure.  And they weren’t the only ones, of course!  In fact, sometimes Jesus was asked to prove who he was.  The Pharisees said to him, “If you are who you say you are, show us a sign.”  “Show us a miracle!”  As Herod sang in “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Prove to me that you’re divine, change my water into wine!  It’s all you need do, and I’ll know it’s all true!”

If you think about it, getting a sign – seeing a miracle – increases belief, doesn’t it?  Wouldn’t you believe in Jesus even more if he appeared right here, right now?  And what if, when you saw him, he was the transfigured Jesus, in all his glory!

I like to think of the Transfiguration as an encouragement, a reassurance, of the Disciples’ faith – a “shot in the arm.”  That’s an expression that has taken on a new meaning in the current world, hasn’t’ it?  Well, this was a spiritual “shot in the arm!”  This was something I believe the disciples needed. Being with this popular rabbi was an honor and a great adventure of course, but things weren’t going so well lately.  They weren’t seeing any hints of the revolution against Rome that everybody wanted. And there were problems.  Even their religious leaders, their priests and rabbis, were becoming more and more at odds with this Jesus.  Maybe even the disciples themselves were starting to wonder.

Scripture shows that they often didn’t understand what was happening.  They often “didn’t get it.”  At one point, when Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, they were found to be arguing among themselves about who was the greatest.  At another time, the mother of James and John went to Jesus and asked, “Master, grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right and one at your left, in your kingdom.” (Matthew 20:21)  Do you remember that?  And I think the boys put her up to it!  After all, who can resist a Jewish mother?!  And I’m pretty sure that they were asking for places of honor for when Jesus became king of Israel, which they all thought was going to happen – or they hoped would happen!  But then what did he ask them?  “Are you able to drink the cup, the cup of suffering, that I must drink?”  In other words, “Do you realize what kind of a kingdom I’m bringing in, and what the cost will be?”  They said they did.  But it’s doubtful!

Look at this story.  Here, they see the glory of Jesus first hand, and what does Peter say?  “Let us make three booths.”  In other words, “We’ll make shrines for you, Jesus.”  That statement seems so out of place to us.  Jesus himself didn’t even acknowledge it!  Maybe it was said out of fear.  For this scene was powerful and frightening.  Again, artists depictions really don’t capture that aspect of it.  Or maybe Peter just didn’t know what else to say.  But he did know that’s what their forefathers would do.  When they had significant spiritual events they built shrines.  That’s what Moses did.  And there was Moses standing before them!

I think Jesus knew that his disciples needed this experience!  As I said, this was a difficult time in their journey with him.  And he knew that, very soon, things would really be “ramped up.”  Things were about to “get real,” as the modern expression goes.  So, this was a spiritual experience that was preparing them for what came next.  God often did that!  This was their “burning bush” experience.  (Again, back to the Moses reference!)

And by the way, I’m kind of intrigued at how they recognized that it was Moses and Elijah who were standing before them with Jesus.  How did they know it was them?  There were no photographs.  Did they have artists who painted pictures of their patriarchs?  How did they know what Moses and Elijah looked like?  Maybe they knew it was them from what was said?  Luke tells us that they had a conversation with Jesus.

And that’s an important part of this, too!  For Jesus to be linked with these two historical “superstars” was no small thing!  It had to have raised his importance in the disciples’ minds!  Besides that, Luke tells us what they were talking about!  They were talking about his “departure in Jerusalem.”  Do you get that?  Moses and Elijah were talking about Jesus!  Not the other way around!  What did that say to the disciples about who Jesus really was?!

Here then, we have what we might call another “theophany,” another “appearance of God.”  There was the cloud, the changed appearance of Jesus, and there was the appearance of two of the greatest of their patriarchs!  And then, like at Jesus’ baptism, there was the very voice of God!  Some three years later, they heard that same voice say, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”  This time, it was “This is my beloved son.  Listen to him!”

When they awakened, they saw the glory of Jesus.  On that mountaintop, Jesus was giving his people a powerful picture of who he really was.  That’s what this story is about.  And as we look at this story, I think we’re called to ask ourselves, “What does this story tell us about who Jesus was – and is?”  Do we need that reassurance?  Do we need that spiritual “shot in the arm?”  I think we do!  And I think we need it often.

That’s why we have this sacrament.  This is a time we remember what it meant for God to become one like us.  It’s a time to remember, again and again, the importance of being part of his kingdom, and what it cost him.  It is a time when we can know beyond a doubt that we are loved by God.  We may not see Jesus in his glory, in this life, but others did.  Others witnessed his glory.  And through their experiences, we to can know his glory.  And we can have the same assurance they had.  And we can know that we are his people!

Prayer

Eternal God, help us to have glimpses of your Glory.  Help us every day, to have the assurance we need, assurance of who Jesus was and is.  Give us the strength to seek your will, to follow him wherever he leads.  Help us to have the peace he gives, the peace that passes all understanding, that keeps our hearts and our minds in him.  For this we pray in his name, Amen.